COMMUNICATION AND ADOPTION 3(3+0)

Lesson 25 : Elements of Diffusion (Continued)

Communication Channels

• A communication channel is the means by which messages get from one individual to another.
• Mass media channels are all those means of transmitting messages that involve a mass medium such as radio, television, newspapers and so on, which enable a source of one or a few individuals to reach an audience of many.
• Interpersonal channels are more effective in persuading an individual to accept a new idea, especially if the interpersonal channel links two or more individuals who are similar in socio-economic status, education, or other important ways. Interpersonal channels involve a face-to-face exchange between two or more individuals.
• Most people depend mainly on subjective evaluation of an innovation, conveyed to them from individuals like themselves who have previously adopted the innovations. This dependence on the experience of near peers indicates that diffusions a social process and the heart of diffusions process consists of the modeling and imitation by potential adopters of their network partners who have adopted previously.
• More effective communication occurs when two or more individuals belong to the same groups, live or work near each other, and share the same interests (homophilous). More effective communication occurs in homophilous than heterophilous condition.

Time
The third element in diffusion process is TIME.

The time is involved in diffusion in

1. The innovation – decision process
   
2. Innovativeness and
3. Innovation’s rate of adoption.

Social system

Optional innovation decisions
Are choices to adopt or reject an innovation that are made by an individual independent of the decisions of the other members of the system.

Collective innovation decisions
Are choices to adopt or reject an innovation that are made by consensus among the members of a system.

Authority innovation decisions
Are choices to adopt or reject an innovation that are made by a relatively few individuals in a system who possess power, status, or technical expertise. The individual member of the system has little or no influence in the innovation-decision; he or she simply implements the decision.

Contingent innovation decisions
Are choices to adopt or reject that can be made only after a prior innovation-decision.