CITATION AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
Cite as: Fraser, B. P. (1987). The diffusion of innovations: A comparison of a Sense-Making and traditional approach in a study of channel use and homophily. Doctoral dissertation, University of Washington. Advisor, Brenda Dervin.
© Benson Perry Fraser (1987).
You may be able to order a full copy of this dissertation through the author, or through ProQuest Dissertation Express.

ADVISOR:
Brenda Dervin

ABSTRACT:
Dissatisfaction with the dominant model of diffusion of innovations research has grown steadily over the last decade. Specifically three major criticisms with the dominant model were identified. They are (1) too little attention given to the “receiver”, (2) neglecting contextual variables and (3) imposing a linear model which distorts and oversimplifies the diffusion process. Recent attempts to deal with these criticisms have failed to address all of the model’s three major problems simultaneously. However, one research approach that has been developed in other areas of communication research has not yet been applied to diffusion of innovations research—the interpretivistic approach.

This study, which applies the interpretivistic approach to the study of diffusion of innovations, is an exploratory investigation by comparing selected aspects of a traditional diffusion model with selected aspects of an interpretivistic (Sense-Making) model. Both a qualitative and a quantitative investigation are undertaken. In conducting the qualitative investigation, two predictor variables are examined—“stages of adoption” from a traditional model and “help expected” from the Sense-Making model. Using factorial analysis of variance, hypotheses are tested relating to each predictor variable’s usefulness as a predictor of the criterion variables, channel-use and homophily. The qualitative portion of the study illustrates the quantitative analysis and extracts anomalies and insights from the respondents’ own words.

The study supports the use of the traditional variable, stage of adoption, as a predictor variable of channel use, and, the use of the Sense-Making variable, help expected, as a predictor of both channel-use and homophily. Further, the study results suggest that the adoption process is much more complex than what the dominant model suggests, so that further research in this area is called for. The usefulness of the Sense-Making variable, help expected, as conceived and applied in this study, suggests that other Sense-Making variables could be successfully applied in this research area.

OTHER MATERIALS BY THIS AUTHOR ON THIS WEBSITE:
See: http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sense-making/AAauthors/authorlistfraser.html