Technology Adoption Lifecycle
Diffusion of Innovations · Rogers' Curve
The adoption or acceptance of a new product or innovation, according to the demographic and psychological characteristics of defined adopter groups. The first group are called ‘innovators', followed by ‘early adopters', 'early majority' and 'late majority', and finally ‘laggards'.
Origin
American communication theorist and sociologist Everett Rogers first proposed the diffusion of innovations theory in 1962, defining it as "the process by which (1) an innovation (2) is communicated through certain channels (3) over time (4) among the members of a social system." Rogers categorized adopters into five groups: innovators (2.5% of population), early adopters (13.5%), early majority (34%), late majority (34%), and laggards (16%). The rate of adoption is influenced by five characteristics: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. The theory's principles have been tested in more than 6,000 research studies, making it probably the most reliable model in technology and innovation adoption.