1) Diffusion is defined as the process by which an innovation is communicated through channels over time among members of a social system. There are four main elements of diffusion: the innovation itself, communication channels, time, and the social system. 2) Innovations can be defined by their characteristics including relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. Communication channels include mass media and interpersonal channels. 3) The innovation-decision process describes the stages individuals go through in learning about an innovation and deciding whether to adopt it: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation.

1. 1

2. An Assignment on UNIT I
ELEMENTS OF DIFFUSION
Course No: EXT.503
Course Title:
Diffusion and Adoption of Innovations (2+1)
SUBMITTED TO
Dr. J. B. Patel
Associate Professor
Department of Extension Education
B A College of Agriculture
AAU, Anand-388 110
SUBMITTED BY
Haseena Bibi (04-2599-2015)
M.Sc. (Agri.) Extn. Edu.
2nd Semester 2

3. What is diffusion?
• The process by which an
innovation is communicated
through certain channels over time
among the members of a social
system.
3

4. • In this context communication is:
• ‘A process whereby participants share
information to reach a mutual understanding’.
4

5. • Diffusion is a special type of communication
in which the messages are about a new idea.
• The newness of the idea gives diffusion its
special character – it ensures that a degree
of uncertainty is involved in diffusion.
5

6. • Uncertainty – the degree to which a range
of alternatives are perceived with regard to
the occurrence of an event.
• Uncertainty implies lack of predictability
and therefore of information.
6

7. • To put this in a nutshell - for Rogers, “Diffusion of
innovations" means
• The dissemination of uncertainty-reducing
information embodied in products or processes
through a social system.
7

8. The Process of the diffusion of
Innovations
• Diffusion is a process where an innovation is
communicated through certain channels over
time among members of a social system
8

9. 9

10. Four Elements in Diffusion of
Innovations:
• Diffusion is a process where:
1) an innovation
2) is communicated through certain channels
3) over time
4) among members of a social system
10

11. The Innovation
• An idea, practice or object that is perceived as
new by an individual or other unit of adoption.
11

12. Characteristics of Innovation –
1. Relative Advantage
2. Compatibility
3. Complexity
4. Trialability
5. Observability
12

13. 13

14. • Relative Advantage – Over existing technologies -
can be perceived, may be measured in
Economic terms,
Social prestige,
Convenience and
Satisfaction.
14

15. • Compatibility – with existing values, past
experiences, needs of potential adopters
(and their social system)
• Complexity - degree to which an innovation
is perceived as difficult to understand and
use.
15

16. • Trialability – degree to which an innovation
may be experimented with on a limited
basis. A trialable innovation represented
less uncertainty to a potential adopter.
• Observability – Degree to which the results
of an innovation are visible to others.
16

17. .
Communications Channels
• The means by which messages get from one
individual to another.
• The nature of the information-exchange
relation determines the conditions under
which a source will/will not transmit the
innovation to the receiver and the effect of
the transfer.
17

18. • Mass-media – most efficient way to create
awareness knowledge of an innovation
• Interpersonal channels – more effective
in persuading in individual to accept a
new idea.
18

19. • The closer (more homophilious) two individuals
are, the more frequently and more successful the
transfer of ideas between them.
19

20. Time
• Time - third element in the diffusion
process. Involved in:
– the innovation-decision process
– the innovativeness of an individual
– an innovation’s rate of adoption in a system
20

21. THE INNOVATION-DECISION PROCESS
• THE INNOVATION-DECISION PROCESS -
the process through which an individual passes
from first knowledge of an innovation to forming
an attitude toward the innovation, to a decision to
adopt or reject it.
21

22. • Five stages in the innovation-decision
process:
(1) Knowledge,
(2) Persuasion,
(3) Decision,
(4) Implementation, and
(5) Confirmation.
22

23. 23

24. • Knowledge occurs when an individual (or other decision-
making unit) learns of the innovation’s existence and gains
some understanding of how it functions.
• Persuasion occurs when an individual (or other decision-
making unit) forms a favourable or unfavourable attitude
toward the innovation.
• Decision occurs when an individual (or other decision-
making unit) engages in activities that lead to a choice to
adopt or reject the innovation.
24

25. • Implementation occurs when an individual (or other
decision-making unit) puts an innovation into use. Re-
invention is especially likely to occur at the implementation
stage.
• Confirmation occurs when an individual (or other
decision-making unit) seeks reinforcement of an
innovation-decision that has already been made, but the
individual may reverse this previous decision if exposed to
conflicting innovation.
25

26. • At the knowledge stage the individual wants to
know what the innovation is and how and why
it works.
• Mass media channels
26

27. • At the persuasion stage the individual wants
to know the innovation’s advantages and
disadvantages in his or her own situation.
• Interpersonal networks
27

28. • Ultimately, the innovation-decision process
leads to either ‘adoption or to rejection’.
28

29. INNOVATIVENESS AND
ADOPTER CATEGORIES
• “Innovativeness” - the degree to which an
individual or other unit of adoption is
relatively earlier in adopting new ideas than
the other members of a system.
29

30. • The adopter categories
(1) Innovators,
(2) Early adopters,
(3) Early majority,
(4) Late majority, and
(5) Laggards.
30

31. 31

32. RATE OF ADOPTION
• Rate of adoption - the relative speed with
which an innovation is adopted by members
of a social system.
• When the number of individuals adopting a
new idea is plotted on a cumulative
frequency basis over time, the resulting
distribution is an “S-shaped curve.”
32

33. • Most innovations have an S-shaped rate of adoption.
• But there is variation in the slope of the “S” from innovation to
innovation;
• Some new ideas diffuse relatively rapidly and the S-curve is quite
steep.
• Other innovations have a slower rate of adoption, and the S-curve
is more gradual, with a slope that is relatively lazy.
33

34. A Social System
• Defined as: a set of interrelated units that
are engaged in joint problem-solving to
accomplish a common goal.
• This sharing of a common objective binds
the system together.
34

35. • The social structure of the system affects the
innovation’s diffusion in several ways. Here
we deal with:
– how the system’s social structure affects
diffusion,
– the effect of norms on diffusion,
– the roles of opinion leaders
35

36. Social Structure
• To the extent that the units in a social
system are not all identical in their
behaviour, structure exists in the system.
• Structure - the patterned arrangements of
the units in a system.
36

37. 37

38. SYSTEM NORMS AND
DIFFUSION
• Norms are: Established behaviour patterns for
the members of a social system.
• They define a range of tolerable behaviour and
serve as a guide or a standard for the members’
behaviour in a social system.
• The norms of a system tell an individual what
behaviour is expected. Thus a system’s norms
can be a barrier to change.
• Norms can operate at the level of a nation, a
religious community, an organisation, or a local
system like a village. 38

39. OPINION LEADERS
• Some members of the system function as opinion
leaders.
• They provide information and advice about
innovations to many in the system.
• They are opinion leaders
39

40. • Opinion leadership is: the degree to which an individual is
able to influence other individuals’ attitudes/behaviour.
• This leadership is not a function of the individual’s formal
position.
• Opinion leadership is earned and maintained by the
individual’s
– technical competence,
– social accessibility, and
– conformity to the system’s norms.
40

41. 41