Principles and Techniques of Veterinary and AH Extension

ELEMENTS OF DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS 

• The key elements in diffusion research are:
  • Innovation
    • Rogers defined an innovation as "an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption"
  • Communication channels
    • A communication channel is "the means by which messages get transferred from one individual to another"
  • Time
    • "The innovation-decision period is the length of time required to pass through the innovation-decision process" "Rate of adoption is the relative speed with which an innovation is adopted by members of a social system"
  • Social system
    • "A social system is defined as a set of interrelated units that are engaged in joint problem solving to accomplish a common goal"