The Diffusion of Innovations A Communication Science Perspective

«These chapters truly do ‘advance’ the study of the diffusion of innovations. They expand the conceptual domain of adoption (with relations and appropriation), the process (using mathematical and agent-based models), the nature of diffusion (with alternate perspectives), the challenges provided by new media, and complementary theoretical perspectives.» (Ronald E. Rice, University of California, Santa Barbara)



«‘The Diffusion of Innovations: A Communication Science Perspective’ charts out a compelling and refreshing twenty-first century research agenda for a topic that captured the intellectual imagination of many scholars in the twentieth century. The chapters in this book showcase the breadth and depth of novel conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and practical approaches that will advance our understanding of the multi-level and contextual dynamics associated with the diffusion of innovations.» (Noshir Contractor, Jane S. & William J. White Professor of Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University)

Arun Vishwanath is Associate Professor of Communication at the University at Buffalo. His research focuses on the cognitive, affective, and behavioral determinants of technology adoption. His research looks at how individuals conceptualize new innovations and the role of interpersonal and mass mediated messages in the adoption and utilization of innovations. George A. Barnett is Professor of Communication at the University of California, Davis. His research interests focus on social and cognitive system dynamics, and the examination of social and communication networks and how they change over time as a function of perturbations in the system in which they are embedded.