18/12/2015

DiffusionofInnovationTheory

BehavioralChangeModels

DiffusionofInnovationTheory
DiffusionofInnovation(DOI)Theory,developedbyE.M.Rogersin1962,isoneoftheoldestsocialsciencetheories.It
originatedincommunicationtoexplainhow,overtime,anideaorproductgainsmomentumanddiffuses(orspreads)
throughaspecificpopulationorsocialsystem.Theendresultofthisdiffusionisthatpeople,aspartofasocialsystem,adopt
anewidea,behavior,orproduct.Adoptionmeansthatapersondoessomethingdifferentlythanwhattheyhadpreviously
(i.e.,purchaseoruseanewproduct,acquireandperformanewbehavior,etc.).Thekeytoadoptionisthatthepersonmust
perceivetheidea,behavior,orproductasneworinnovative.Itisthroughthisthatdiffusionispossible.
Adoptionofanewidea,behavior,orproduct(i.e.,"innovation")doesnothappensimultaneouslyinasocialsystemratherit
isaprocesswherebysomepeoplearemoreapttoadopttheinnovationthanothers.Researchershavefoundthatpeople
whoadoptaninnovationearlyhavedifferentcharacteristicsthanpeoplewhoadoptaninnovationlater.Whenpromotingan
innovationtoatargetpopulation,itisimportanttounderstandthecharacteristicsofthetargetpopulationthatwillhelpor
hinderadoptionoftheinnovation.Therearefiveestablishedadoptercategories,andwhilethemajorityofthegeneral
populationtendstofallinthemiddlecategories,itisstillnecessarytounderstandthecharacteristicsofthetargetpopulation.
Whenpromotinganinnovation,therearedifferentstrategiesusedtoappealtothedifferentadoptercategories.
1. InnovatorsThesearepeoplewhowanttobethefirsttotrytheinnovation.Theyareventuresomeandinterestedin
newideas.Thesepeopleareverywillingtotakerisks,andareoftenthefirsttodevelopnewideas.Verylittle,if
anything,needstobedonetoappealtothispopulation.
2. EarlyAdoptersThesearepeoplewhorepresentopinionleaders.Theyenjoyleadershiproles,andembrace
changeopportunities.Theyarealreadyawareoftheneedtochangeandsoareverycomfortableadoptingnew
ideas.Strategiestoappealtothispopulationincludehowtomanualsandinformationsheetsonimplementation.
Theydonotneedinformationtoconvincethemtochange.
3. EarlyMajorityThesepeoplearerarelyleaders,buttheydoadoptnewideasbeforetheaverageperson.Thatsaid,
theytypicallyneedtoseeevidencethattheinnovationworksbeforetheyarewillingtoadoptit.Strategiestoappeal
tothispopulationincludesuccessstoriesandevidenceoftheinnovation'seffectiveness.
4. LateMajorityThesepeopleareskepticalofchange,andwillonlyadoptaninnovationafterithasbeentriedbythe
majority.Strategiestoappealtothispopulationincludeinformationonhowmanyotherpeoplehavetriedthe
innovationandhaveadopteditsuccessfully.
5. LaggardsThesepeopleareboundbytraditionandveryconservative.Theyareveryskepticalofchangeandare
thehardestgrouptobringonboard.Strategiestoappealtothispopulationincludestatistics,fearappeals,and
pressurefrompeopleintheotheradoptergroups.

Thestagesbywhichapersonadoptsaninnovation,andwherebydiffusionisaccomplished,includeawarenessoftheneed
foraninnovation,decisiontoadopt(orreject)theinnovation,initialuseoftheinnovationtotestit,andcontinueduseofthe
innovation.Therearefivemainfactorsthatinfluenceadoptionofaninnovation,andeachofthesefactorsisatplaytoa
differentextentinthefiveadoptercategories.
1. RelativeAdvantageThedegreetowhichaninnovationisseenasbetterthantheidea,program,orproductit
http://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPHModules/SB/SB721Models/SB721Models4.html

1/2

18/12/2015

DiffusionofInnovationTheory

replaces.
2. CompatibilityHowconsistenttheinnovationiswiththevalues,experiences,andneedsofthepotentialadopters.
3. ComplexityHowdifficulttheinnovationistounderstandand/oruse.
4. TriabilityTheextenttowhichtheinnovationcanbetestedorexperimentedwithbeforeacommitmenttoadoptis
made.
5. ObservabilityTheextenttowhichtheinnovationprovidestangibleresults.

LimitationsofDiffusionofInnovationTheory
ThereareseverallimitationsofDiffusionofInnovationTheory,whichincludethefollowing:
Muchoftheevidenceforthistheory,includingtheadoptercategories,didnotoriginateinpublichealthanditwasnot
developedtoexplicitlyapplytoadoptionofnewbehaviorsorhealthinnovations.
Itdoesnotfosteraparticipatoryapproachtoadoptionofapublichealthprogram.
Itworksbetterwithadoptionofbehaviorsratherthancessationorpreventionofbehaviors.
Itdoesn'ttakeintoaccountanindividual'sresourcesorsocialsupporttoadoptthenewbehavior(orinnovation).
Thistheoryhasbeenusedsuccessfullyinmanyfieldsincludingcommunication,agriculture,publichealth,criminaljustice,
socialwork,andmarketing.Inpublichealth,DiffusionofInnovationTheoryisusedtoacceleratetheadoptionofimportant
publichealthprogramsthattypicallyaimtochangethebehaviorofasocialsystem.Forexample,aninterventiontoaddress
apublichealthproblemisdeveloped,andtheinterventionispromotedtopeopleinasocialsystemwiththegoalofadoption
(basedonDiffusionofInnovationTheory).Themostsuccessfuladoptionofapublichealthprogramresultsfrom
understandingthetargetpopulationandthefactorsinfluencingtheirrateofadoption.

http://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPHModules/SB/SB721Models/SB721Models4.html

2/2