ACTIVITY ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

The use of activity as a means to promote, maintain, improve or

Recovering occupational performance is the main tool of the therapist.
occupational, therefore its ethical and professional responsibility focuses on the
comprehensive study of the activities that fit the characteristics of
a patient (endo-exogenous) in favor of achieving the therapeutic goal
which always aims for its functional occupational performance.

In the document presented below, a model is proposed

occupational analysis format, which includes the identification and
understanding for the performance of biomedical concepts and therapy
occupational, essential for the decomposition and understanding of wealth
therapeutic activities.

WHAT IS ACTIVITY?

It is possible to point out that the activity is the execution of a series of actions.
combinations of the sensorimotor, cognitive, and psychoaffective components, that
They are oriented towards achieving a purpose. In this way, if one wants to have a
broad appreciation of the meaning of activities, it can also be inferred
that the sum of various activities constitutes an occupation.

As an example, a teacher performs different tasks, immersed in

activities that allow them to fulfill the macro purpose of performing
occupationally as a teacher. For this case:

OCCUPATION ACTIVITIES MAIN TASK

Read
-Prepare science class -Write
-To design
PROFESSOR Expose
Ask
Teach class
Answer
Feedback
 Design evaluation
Evaluate achievements
Apply
Correct
Feedback

Now, if the activity is the execution of a series of joint actions of

the sensorimotor, cognitive, and psychoaffective components, what implication
they can have the components to achieve the purpose of the activity. Yes
It is true that human beings, in terms of normality, are integral in the
reception, processing, response production and feedback in the face of
stimuli coming from the environment, this is certainly true for their participation in the
occupational activities.

By continuing with the example presented initially, it is then possible

determine that in the performance of activities the person makes use of
all its resources represented in performance components, to fulfill
with the demands that each of the tasks represents.

To continue with the example, a detailed decomposition could be done.

of the tasks to determine the demands for the performance of the activity.
For example:
What should I do to ...?
TASK OPERATIONS
-Leer Visually review the text
Integrate signs and symbols
Understand
Abstract
Turning pages

It is important to note that for the implementation of this example, it starts

of some assumptions such as: the reading is selected, the person is
sitting in front of the desk and is about to start the task of reading, of the
activity to prepare the science class.

Now continuing with the exercise, the operations can also be

decompose in order to determine the most significant aspects, in the
meaning that they are the basis for task performance. In relation to this:
 OPERATIONS STEPS
Visually review the text Determine location in the text

Integrate signs and symbols Start reading process

Understand Determine meaning y

coherence of the text

Abstract Analyze y to correlate

information

Turn pages Grab page edge

Cross the median line
Release page edge

The steps mentioned are ultimately from which

identifies the demands represented in the performance components
required for the performance of the activity, as presented in the following
frame

STEPS COMPONENTS
Determine location in the text Sensorimotor
- Sensory Integration:
. Visual: interpret the stimuli
through the eyes, including the
vision y acuity peripherals,
awareness of pain, depth and
figure ground.
Preceptual skills
. Discrimination right
left: to differentiate one side of
the body of the other
. Certificate of the form:
recognize shapes and objects such as
the same in various environments,
positions and sizes.
. Position in the space
 determine the spatial relationship of
figures and objects with themselves and
with other shapes and objects.

The process presented above allows the occupational therapist

develop the skill to identify and determine the value of the
procedures carried out for the enabling or rehabilitation of their
patients, especially because it is based on information that comes from the
patient to determine the activity that is meaningful to him/her.

MANUAL INSTRUCTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY ANALYSIS

NOMBRE DE LA ACTIVIDAD: Se describe el nombre de la actividad que va

the student has to do

FECHA:Descripción del día, mes y año. En la que se efectúa la actividad

(individual or group)

USER/GROUP: Describe the name of the patient/user/name of the

group.

NUMBER OF MEMBERS: It is the number of people involved in

the activity/ group/ individual

AVERAGE AGE: It is the predominant age of the patient/user/group.

who will carry out the activity.

DECOMPOSITION OF ACTIVITY

The activity must be analyzed taking into account the decomposition of

tasks, operation and steps, (reference occupational analysis), having total
clarity in the exact steps and the sequential order. The breakdown of the
the activity must be included in a framework that allows
subsequently conduct factor, movement, and systems analyses. The
The analysis of an activity can involve one or several tasks, depending on the complexity.
of the same.

1. DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITY

This aspect encompasses the action and effect of describing, which consists of the
activity presented, in general terms, taking into account that the
The essence of the activity is developed when it is broken down and identified.
demands for performance components.

2. THEORETICAL SUPPORT

Set of ideas, logically ordered that provide a certain

guidance for the selection of specific assessments, modalities,
treatment techniques and style of relationships with patients.

When the assessment has been carried out and there is an occupational concept, one
orient the process theoretically according to references and assumptions that allow the
conceptual organization of the issues to achieve proposed goals at the
implement a therapeutic process. In this way, the therapist must
identify the approach that guides the procedures to follow with the patient,
according to references that allow for an applied understanding of the activities
in the patient's recovery, as needed.

3. OBJECTIVE

The objectives are part of the therapist's projection in the process of

treatment of a patient, the scope of their intervention and are oriented towards
according to the selected approaches for the treatment proposal.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE: It is the greatest reach that is intended to have in the

treatment process

OBJETIVOS ESPECIFICOS:

They are the small achievements, with which it is hoped to achieve the goal.
general.

4. DECOMPOSITION OF ACTIVITY
The activity must be analyzed taking into account the decomposition of
tasks, operations, and steps. Having total clarity on the exact steps and the
sequential order.

The breakdown of the activity must be included in a scheme.

that allows, subsequently, to carry out the analyses of movement factors and
systems.

The analysis of an activity can involve one or several tasks, depending on the
complexity of it. Next, we will define each of the aspects.
to analyze:

TASKS: They are each of the jobs, functions, or aspects in which one can be
divide the set of an activity, complete-occupation, which can be
simple or complex; it generally constitutes one of the responsibilities
what it has and who executes the activity. Answer the what and why of it.
What needs to be done in that activity.

OPERATIONS: It is part of the task and consists of the

carrying out one or several steps with a specific objective, responds to the
how to do each of the tasks mentioned earlier.

STEPS: They are elements into which an operation can be decomposed, they are
actions are always represented by simple verbs that contain the
analyzed operation

5. PERFORMANCE COMPONENT

The components are the characteristics of the activity, represented in the

sensory-motor, cognitive, psychosocial requirements for the
performance of an activity. Each of those requirements contains
aspects that make them more specific for analyzing activities.

Sensory motor component: refers to the functioning e

interaction of sensory function and the musculoskeletal system in
the development of an activity. It involves three aspects, integration
sensory, neuromuscular, and motor.

Sensory integration
a. Sensory awareness: receiving and differentiating sensory stimuli.
b. Sensory processing: interpreting sensory stimuli.
i. Tactile: interpreting superficial touch, pressure, temperature,
pain, vibration, and stimuli from two points through the
contact with the skin and its receptors.
ii. Proprioceptive: to interpret the stimuli that originate in
the muscles, joints, and other internal tissues for
to provide information about the position of a body part
in relation to another.
iii. Vestibular: interpret the stimuli from the receptors of the
inner ear in relation to position and movement of the
head.
iv. Visual: interpret stimuli through the eyes,
including peripheral vision and sharpness, awareness of
pain, depth and figure-background.
v. Auditory: interpret sounds, locate sounds and discriminate
background sounds.
vi. Gustatory: to interpret flavors.
vii. Olfactory: interpreting smells.
c. Perceptual skills
i. Esterognosis: identifying objects through the sense of touch
touch.
ii. Quinesthesia: identify the amplitude and direction of
joint movement.
iii. Body schema: to acquire an internal awareness of
body and the relationship between the body parts with each other.
iv. Right-left discrimination: differentiating one side from the other
body of the other
v. Certificate of form: recognize forms and objects as
the same ones in various environments, positions, and sizes.
vi. Position in space: determine the spatial relationship of
figures and objects with themselves and with other shapes and
objects.
vii. Total complementary vision: identify shapes or objects to
starting from incomplete presentations.
viii. Figure ground: differentiate between shapes and objects of first
plan and background.
ix. Depth perception: determining relative distance
between objects, figures, signals and the observer.
x. Topographic orientation: determine the location of objects
and environments and the journey to that location.
2. Neuromuscular
a. Reflex: to present an involuntary muscular response caused
by a sensory stimulus.
b. Range of motion: move the body parts through a
arch.
c. Muscle tone: to demonstrate a degree of tension or resistance in a
muscle.
d. Fuerza: demostrar un grado de potencia muscular cuando se
resists movement with weight or gravity.
e. Resistance: sustain cardiac, pulmonary, and muscle effort
skeletal for a period of time.
f. Postural control: position and maintain head alignment.
neck, trunk and limbs with the appropriate weight balance,
orientation to the midline and straightening reactions for
the function.
g. Soft tissue integrity: maintain anatomical condition and
physiology of the interstitial tissues and the skin.

3. Motor
a. Tolerance to activity: sustaining an activity with purpose
for a period of time.
b. Gross motor coordination: using large muscle groups
to achieve coordinated movements.
c. Cross the midline: move the limbs and eyes from one side to the other
another of the sagittal plane of the body.
d. Lateralization: to use a preferred unilateral body part for the
activities that require a high degree of skill.
e. Bilateral integration: interacting with both sides of the body
a coordinated manner during the activity.
f. Practices: conceive and plan a new motor act in response to
a demand of the environment.
g. Coordination/fine motor skills: using groups of muscles
small ones to achieve coordinated movements, especially in
the manipulation of objects.
h. Visomotor integration: to coordinate the interaction of information
visual with body movement during the activity.
i. Control oral motor: coordinate the oro-pharyngeal muscles to
achieve controlled movements.
1

Cognitive integration and cognitive components: are the actions at the level of
the higher processing skills, intellectual, that are required
for the performance of an activity.

1. Level of excitement: to show being alert, attentive, and interested in the

environmental stimuli.
[Link]: identify person, place, time, and situation.
[Link]: identificar caras, objetos y otros materiales familiares
presented previously.
4. Attention time: focusing on a task for a period of
time.
Memory
a. In the short term: remembering information for brief periods of time.
In the long term: remembering information for long periods of time.
c. Retrograde or remote: recalling events from the distant past.
d. Anterograde or recent: remembering events from the immediate past.
6. Sequencing: arranging information, concepts, and actions.
7. Categorization: identify similarities and differences between the information
environmental.
8. Concept formation: organizing a variety of information to
to form thoughts and ideas.
9. Intellectual operations in space: mentally manipulating the
spatial relationships.
10. Problem solving: recognize a problem, define a problem,
identify alternative plans, select a plan, organize the steps
from a plan, develop a plan and evaluate the result.
11. Generalization of learning: applying concepts and behaviors
previously learned from similar situations.
12. Integration of learning: incorporating concepts and behaviors
acquired prior to general situations.
13. Synthesis of learning: restructure concepts and behaviors
previously learned in new patterns.

Psychosocial skills and psychosocial components: refer to

the characteristics of the person itself and related to aspects of the environment
human and non-human.
 Psychological
a. Roles: identify the functions that one assumes or acquires in the
society (worker, student, parent, church member).
b. Values: identify the ideas or beliefs that are
intrinsically important.
c. Interests: identify mental or physical activities that create
pleasure and maintain attention.
d. Commencement of activity: committing to physical activity
or mental.
e. Completion of the activity: to interrupt an activity in the
appropriate moment.
f. Concept of self: to develop the value of one's own physical person and
emotional.
2. Social
a. Social behavior: interacting using manners, personal space,
eye contact, gestures, active listening, and personal expression
appropriate to the context.
b. Conversation: using verbal and non-verbal communication to
interact in various frames.
c. Personal expression: using a variety of styles and skills
to express thoughts, feelings, and needs.
3. Personal management
a. Skills to handle and solve problems: identify and
manage stress and related factors.
b. Time management: plan and participate in a balance of
personal care activities, work, leisure and
rest to promote satisfaction and health.
c. Self-control: to adjust and modify one's own behavior in
response to the needs, demands, and limitations of
environment.

Structure and definitions taken from: HOPKINS, H & SMITH, H. Therapy

Occupational: Appendix C: Uniform terminology of occupational therapy
(second edition). Pan American Medical Editorial. Spain, 2001.
 UNIVERSITY OF SANTANDER
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PROGRAM
ANALYSIS OF THE ACTIVITY
Nombre de la actividad: Date: ___Paciente: Number of members: Average age:

___Group:

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITY DEFENSE BY APPROACHES OBJECTIVES

General:

Specific:
 DECOMPOSITION OF THE ACTIVITY
TASKS OPERATIONS STEPS
 IDENTIFICATION OF DEMANDS OF ACTIVITY BY PERFORMANCE COMPONENTS
SENSORIAL MOTOR Psychosocial Cognitive