Theories of Communication
Lecture# 14
Recap
Klapper’s Phenomenistic Theory
Elite Pluralism
Diffusion of Innovation Theory
Limited Effect Paradigm
Positive Assumptions derived:
- Government will not control the media.
Diffusion of Innovation Theory
1962 – Everett Rogers
He combined the information flow research
findings with studies about the flow of
information and personal influence in several
fields including anthropology, sociology and
rural agricultural extension work.
Diffusion of Innovation Theory
Diffusion
“The process by which an innovation is
communicated through certain channels over
time among the members of social system.”
Innovation
“An idea, practice, or object perceived as new
by an individual or other unit of adoption.”
Everett Rogers in his classic work analyzed
thousands of diffusion studies in various
disciplines over the years and found similarities.
All studies involved:
– Innovation
– Communication from one person to another
– A society of community setting
– The element of time
Diffusion of Innovation Theory
Diffusion of innovation theory states that an
innovation (i.e. an idea, new technique, new
technology ) diffuses or spreads through out
society in a predictable pattern. A few people
will adopt an innovation as soon as they hear of
it, other people will take longer to try something
new and still others will take much longer. The
pattern is that of an S-shaped curve.
Social scientists have borrowed a phrase
from physicists to describe this adoption
phenomenon, the concept of the critical
mass.
Five categories of people are:
- Innovators
- Early adopters
- Early majority
- Late majority
- Laggards
Innovators
Characteristics:
- Venturesome and ready to try new things.
- Social relationships tend to be more
cosmopolitan than those of other groups.
Early Adopters
Characteristics:
- Due to their integral part in the local society,
this adopter category produces the most
opinion leaders of any other category.
- Early adopters are more localite than
cosmopolite.
Early Majority
Includes people who do not wish to be the first to
adopt new technologies or new ideas.
Instead, the early majority prefers to deliberate,
often for some period of time, before its members
make a decision to adopt.
These people serve the important function of
legitimizing and innovation, or showing the rest of
the community that the innovation is useful and
adoption is desirable.
Late Majority
Laggards
Link between Diffusion of Innovation
Theory and Mass Media
Conceptual Roots
In 1960s, Albert Bandura developed a
comprehensive learning theory steeped in
psychological principles. The psychological
explanations for these events, in terms of social
learning theory are:
- Learning about innovation
- Adoption of innovation
- Developing social networks about innovation
Learning about the innovation
Symbolic Modeling (e.g. an innovative
behavior shown on television that is
subsequently imitated by viewers.) is the
most common source of influence at the
beginning of the diffusion process. Early
adopters are usually those who read
newspaper or watch television.
Learning about the innovation
Steps involved:
- Simple to understand.
- Simple to use.
- Reinforcement of social circle.
Adoption of Innovation
Steps involved:
- Greater benefits i.e. the incentive to adopt a
particular behavior.
- Self Efficacy or belief in one’s own abilities.
- Status incentives.
- Person’s individual values and perceptions of
self.
Developing social networks after
adoption
In successful diffusion of an innovation involves
interpersonal communication among casual
acquaintances - the weaker links of the
communication network.
Research has shown that cohesive, close
groups or clusters of people (immediate family,
close friends, clubs, co-workers religious friends
etc.) learn of innovations through these weak
social ties.
Knowledge
Persuasion
Decision
Confirmation
Diffusion Studies
Iowa Hybrid corn seed:
– To increase yields by 20 percent.
– Slow to adopt; reason being price, no more seeds
for the next season, agriculture innovations were
rare so farmers were not ready.
