COMMUNICATION AND ADOPTION 3(3+0)

Lesson 24 : Elements of Diffusion

Diffusion and diffusion process

• Diffusion
  Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system. It is a special type of communication, in that the messages are concerned with new ideas. It is this ‘newness’ of the idea in the message content of communication that gives diffusion its special character. The diffusion of innovations is essentially a social process in which subjectively perceived information about a new idea is communicated.

  Diffusion is a special type of communication. Diffusion is the process by which innovations spread to the members of a social system. Diffusion studies concerned with messages that are new ideas, where as communication studies encompass all types of messages.

  More effective communication occurs when source and receiver are homophilious.

• Diffusion process
  Diffusion of innovations refers to the spread of those innovations through a population, and is simply the result of a host of individual adoption decisions. If individual adoption decisions are, to an extent, predictable, then the larger diffusion process is also predictable. It follows a pattern, and that element of predictability has substantial implications. Therefore the diffusion process can be explained with the terms given by Rogers as “the spread of a new idea from its source of invention or creation to its ultimate use of adopters”. The diffusion of innovations is essentially a social process in which subjectively perceived information about a new idea is communicated.