Diffusion of Innovations

Abstract This chapter reviews diffusion of innovations theory which has been the theory that has used network principles and perspectives most extensively. An introduction to the theory and a review of its principles is provided. The chapter then reviewed the 4 major classes of diffusion models (1) integration/opinion leadership, (2) structural models, (3) critical levels, and (4) dynamic models. All four models explicitly account for network diffusion dynamics, but vary in their mathematical rigor and complexity. The chapter also introduced the calculation of infectiousness and susceptibility which dynamically account for adoption behavior and in-degree and out-degree, respectively. Empirical data…