Vicarious Learning – Definition, Examples, and Psychological Benefits

“Wiser is the man who learn things by observation.🦉” You shouldn’t always go for hands-on practices to learn things by doing them personally, because of the potential risks of miscommunication. Here comes the vicarious learning that helps you reduce the risk factors.

I know your ears are starving to hear from someone about this type of learning, or you want to learn it by reading. Don’t matter what the situation is, this learning isn’t optional to leave; therefore, I’ve compiled a comprehensive guide on observational learning.

So, Let’s Get Going!

According to the Vicarious Learning definition – “A type of learning when individuals learn skills or acquire knowledge by analyzing and modeling others by analysis without personal experience.”

Vicarious learning is another term for “Observational Learning,” which is also proven by the vicarious learning psychology definition. How?🧐 As it is, the way of learning is by analyzing, observing, and modeling others rather than personal instructions and guidance.

Before Towards the examples, you should clear your concept about observational learning through different aspects that are discussed below.

Here, I’ve compiled different aspects of observational learning for industrial learning to clear your concepts about this type of learning.

Here is a little comparison of both terms in the context of Psychology.

Observational Learning

• What is: When you observe others’ behavior and learn new skills for personal development, without experiencing or following instructions.
• Focus: Its focus is on replicating the observed process, activity, or task.
• Example: Children learn to tie a knot.
• Process: Attention>retention>reproduction>motivation.
• Driven From: It is driven from Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory.

Vicarious Conditioning

• What is: A certain type of Observational Learning, when you watch the consequences of the model and then try to mimic it.
• Focus: Get potential Outcomes.
• Example: If children learn not to get scolded for an activity, then they will try not to do it again.
• Process: Attention>see rewards or punishments>mimic to get rewards.

Learn about the differences between social learning and learning from observing the behaviors so far.

Vicarious Learning

• Core Idea💡: Learn skills based on observing others’ rewards, without experiencing them.
• Focus: Getting better every day.

Social Learning

• Core Idea💡: When you learn through observing, imitating, and modeling your role models, while considering their outcomes.
• Focus: Social Cognitive Theory.

Explore what is common between the vicarious type of education and modeling.

Vicarious Learning

• What is: Observe others’ outcomes and learn new skills for personal development.
• Focus: Observing Consequences 🤓.
• Example: A kid sleeps earlier so as not to get scolded by their parents.
• Process: Attention>retention>reproduction>motivation.

Modeling

• What is: Replicating and imitating others’ behavior to learn new skills.
• Focus: Directly copy the behaviors.
• Example: If children learn not to get scolded for an activity, then they will try not to do it again.
• Process: Attention>retention>reproduction>motivation.

Note: Modeling is a specific type of vicarious learning, which only focuses on imitating and replicating the observed behavior without any concern for results.

All the aspects are the same for both terms, but they have one difference that should be highlighted.

Vicarious learning focuses on adapting skills or acquiring knowledge by observing the model and its consequences.

On the other side, observational learning goes through the modeling and observing processes only.

Observational Learning has no concerns with the consequences that make a difference.

Here are some of the most common practical examples of vicarious learning to understand the term better for later implementation.

Watching videos or movies 📺 is the most common vicarious learning example that helps you learn something new. Whether you’re a newbie to a specific genre or a professional, watching movies of that specific genre will shock you. Because of knowledge!

In addition, not only does watching movies help you acquire knowledge, but tutorial videos also assist you in learning how-know of something new. You will learn and depict better when you analyze it visually, and consequently, such as classroom rules.

When you idolize 💯 someone as your role model, whether in coding or other online jobs, you start imitating them. That’s one of the biggest examples of observational learning that a person can depict in their life throughout the years.

Furthermore, you will get to learn more day by day when you start to depict your role models because they know the road to success. They do what successful people do, as “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” written by Stephen Covey.

Not every person is a fictional geek as well as nor does everyone have the privilege to bear reality, and they usually go to mystical worlds. Of course, they read books to depict fruitful habits and actions to improve their lifestyle for better conditions.

You can choose to listen to podcasts where geeks get together and share insights into various majestic industries. If you want to learn something new every day, then you should listen to geek podcasts, whether on your iPhone or Spotify.

This ensures that you will get to know something new when you observe and analyze the geeks’ moods and thoughts 💭. Give It a Try!

Of course, in daily life, you have to meet several people 🤝, but how many do you remember? The only person from you have learned something directly or indirectly through observational skills is also an example of this type of learning.

How? Your mind 🧠 tends to learn positive things when you see or observe positivity in the outcomes. On the other hand, if you see negativity in consequences, then you will get to know some bad habits that you avoid 🙅🏻‍♀️.

Here are some advantages of vicarious learning for you to get the fruit of your efforts.

One of the major benefits of observational learning is that it reduces the risk factors that can cause you negative consequences. Because you have observed someone’s consequences and tried to adopt the positive ones, which is obviously beneficial.

Learning through experiencing everything again and again is a time consuming process, which also may cause you negative outcomes. On the other hand, you don’t have to do things for learning when you implement vicarious learning, which is a plus point ➕.

Imagine your role model has done something wrong, then you may observe their behaviour and skip the wrong part or make it right. This opportunity is only possible for you when you go with the observational learning method to have the right and perfect for you.

When you sit back and observe how people controlled their emotions while being exhausted, it becomes simpler for you to acquire emotional resistance. In this way, you will be able to learn that failure is a part of life, and you have to keep on trying for success.

After being frequent in observing people, you will become passionate about observing first and then experience for better outcomes. Further, this is a foundation for lifetime learning that will help you gain what you are capable of.

Well, these are the details about Vicarious learning, also known as observational learning, which both are slightly different. You should go for observation, analysis, and imitating your role models to reduce the risk factor, most importantly and have positive outcomes.

In the above section, I’ve tried to conclude everything about the vicarious type of learning to help you depict things easily. So, stay tuned to EduLize for more informative and valuable content related to a Daily Doze of Wisdom.