fei75766_ch17_534-568.indd 543  02/24/20 10:49 AM
Chapter 17    Bandura: Social Cognitive Theory543
Chance Encounters and Fortuitous Events
Although people cananddoexercise asignificant amount ofcontrol overtheirlives, 
theycannot predict oranticipate allpossible environmental changes. Bandura isthe
onlypersonality theorist toseriously consider thepossible importance ofthese chance 
encounters and fortuitous events.
Bandura (1998a) defined achance encounter as“anunintended meeting of
persons unfamiliar toeachother” (p.95).Afortuitous event isanenvironmental 
experience thatisunexpected andunintended. Theeveryday livesofpeople are
affected toagreater orlesser extent bythepeople theychance tomeet andbyran-
domevents theycould notpredict. One’s marital partner, occupation, andplace of
residence maylargely betheresult ofafortuitous meeting thatwasunplanned and
unexpected. 
Justasfortuity hasinfluenced thelivesofallofus,ithasshaped thelives
andcareers offamous personality theorists. Twosuchexamples areAbraham 
H.Maslow (Chapter 9)andHans J.Eysenck (Chapter 14).Asayoung man, 
Maslow wasexceedingly shy,especially withwomen. Atthesame time, hewas
passionately inlovewithhiscousin Bertha Goodman, buthewastoobashful to
express hislove. Onedaywhile hewasvisiting hiscousin’s home, Bertha’s older 
sister pushed himtoward hisbeloved cousin, saying: “FortheloveofPete, kissher,
willya!”(Hoffman, 1988, p.29).Maslow did,andtohissurprise, Bertha didnot
fightback. Shekissed him,andfrom thatmoment, Maslow’s previously aimless life
became transformed. 
Also, Hans Eysenck, thenoted British psychologist, came topsychology com-
pletely bychance. Hehadintended tostudy physics attheUniversity ofLondon, but
firsthehadtopassanentrance examination. After waiting ayeartotaketheexam, 
hewastoldthathehadprepared forthewrong test,andthathewould havetowait
another yeartotaketherightone.Rather thandelaying hiseducation further, heasked 
whether there might beanyscientific subject thathecould pursue. When toldthathe
could enroll inapsychology program, Eysenck asked, “What onearth ispsychology?” 
(Eysenck, 1982, p.290). Eysenck, ofcourse, went ontomajor inpsychology andto
become oneoftheworld’s most famous psychologists. 
Fortuity addsaseparate dimension inanyscheme usedtopredict human 
behavior, anditmakes accurate predictions practically impossible. However, chance 
encounters influence people onlybyentering thetriadic reciprocal causation para-
digm atpoint E(environment) andadding tothemutual interaction ofperson, 
behavior, andenvironment. Inthissense, chance encounters influence people inthe
same manner asdoplanned events. Once achance encounter occurs, people behave 
toward theirnewacquaintance according totheirattitudes, belief systems, andinter-
estsaswellastotheother person’s reaction tothem. Thus, whereas many chance 
encounters andunplanned events havelittleornoinfluence onpeople’s behavior, 
“others havemore lasting effects, andstillothers thrust people intonewlifetrajecto -
ries”(Bandura, 2001, p.12).
Chance encounters andfortuitous events arenotuncontrollable. Indeed, peo-
plecanmake chance happen. Adivorced manlooking foranopportunity toremarry 
willincrease hischance ofmeeting apotential wifebypursuing aproactive course 
ofaction, forexample, byjoining asingles club, going toplaces where heislikely toFinal PDF to printer