Occupational competence is an important construct in occupational therapy but how well do we really understand it? This article reviews White's 1959 theory of competence motivation to facilitate a deeper understanding of the various factors involved in competence. In light of these ideas, the Occupational Competence Model (Polatajko, 1992) and The Enablement Model (Martini, Polatajko & Wilcox, 1995) are revisited and revisions are suggested. Finally, the role of occupational therapy in the promotion of competence is discussed.
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