Diffusion theory, also known as the Diffusion
of Innovation theory, is said to be one of the
oldest social science theories. It begun in
communication to explain how, over time, an idea or product gains momentum and
diffuses (or spreads) through a specific population or social system.
Consequently, people adopt
a new idea, behavior, or product. Adoption means that a person does something
differently than what he did previously, such as the purchase and use of a new
product.
The key to adoption is
that the person must perceive the idea, behavior, or product as new or
innovative. It is through this that diffusion is possible.
When promoting an
innovation to a target population, it is important to understand the
characteristics of the target population that will help or hinder its adoption.
The
theory states there are five stages to the process of adopting an innovation.
The first stage is knowledge; an individual becomes aware of an innovation, next
is persuasion; the individual becomes actively interested in seeking knowledge
about the innovation, and the third stage, decision; the individual weighs the
advantages and disadvantages of the innovation and decides whether or not to
adopt it.
After
these comes implementation; the individual actually does adopt and use the
innovation, and confirmation; is the final stage.
A
limitation of the theory, include the fact that it does not take into account
an individual's resources or social support to adopt the new behavior or
innovation.
This theory has been
used successfully in many fields. In public health, it is used to accelerate
the adoption of important public health programs that typically aim to change
the behavior of a social system.
References
E. M. Rogers, (1962). Diffusion of Innovations, 43-94
John R. Bittner, Mass Communication An Introduction, 5th
Edition, 385-387
