Although a number of diverse research areas underscore the importance of habit and routine, there has been little theoretical coherence to this work considered as a whole. Varying definitions of habit and routine, as well as the extremely broad range of phenomena to which they apply, have hampered the ability to develop any overarching synthesis. In connection with a recent conference sponsored by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation, this article offers a preliminary theoretical synthesis of habit and routine with respect to definitional issues, relation to quality of life, and potential benefits to consumers with disabilities.
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