Origin of Model
Early Research
Diffusion of Innovation as We Know It
- Research began in 1920’s from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine how effective different methods are educate farmers about new practices (Hayden, 2014).
- Research continued into the 1930’s and expanded beyond the realm of farming (Hayden, 2014).
- Specific research in 1943 conducted by Ryan and Gross: Hybrid Corn Seed (Hayden, 2014).
- Theory roots in Rural Sociology (Hayden, 2014).
Diffusion of Innovation as We Know It
- Although early research was done it wasn't until 1962 that The Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory was developed by Everett M. Rogers. It is one of the oldest social science theories. It was originated to explain how over time an idea or product gains momentum and spreads or diffuses (Boston University, 2013).
- Everett Rogers was born in 1931 and was a communication scholar, sociologist, writer, and teacher. When the first edition of Diffusion of Innovation was published Roger was only 30 years old and was an assistant professor of sociology at Ohio State University (Boston University, 2013).
- After a lot of success with Rogers books, he wrote the most recent book (Diffusion of Innovation The Fifth Edition) in order to address the spread of Internet, and how it has transformed humans.
- Rogers research and work became highly accepted in communications and technology adoption studies, and recently has found its way to practical health problems, such as; hygiene, family planning, cancer prevention and drunk driving (Boston University,2013).