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One of the important elements of the social cognitive theory is the role of the
vicarious experiences in the production of behavior. Direct experiences
are governed by the rewarding and punishing consequences, which are assumed to
strengthen one’s behavior (Bandura, 1971). However, if learning will
solely be acquired through our own experiences and their consequences, then it
would take a long time and would make it a lot difficult for us to learn the
things, which are expected of us. For example, if a Christian attended a
Muslim wedding of a friend, and he/she is the only Christian in that event,
given that he/she has no idea of a Muslim wedding, then it would be so
impractical for him/her to act, solely relying on the consequences and reactions
of the other guests to his/her actions. In this situation, the Christian
attendee needs to use his/her cognitive skills and to observe and be sensitive
about the actions of Muslim guests in that wedding event to make it more
beneficial for him/her. In this way, undesirable experiences can be
avoided rather than the person act as if he/she is an unthinking organism
(because he/she will just react to the stimulus presented in that
environment). Therefore, learning becomes more efficient because of the use
of vicarious experiences on top of our own experiences.
