Ray Sheriff's List: Research Methods

The mass  media’s most powerful effect on diffusion is that it spreads knowledge of  innovations to a large audience rapidly (285).  It can even lead to changes in weakly  held attitudes.  But strong  interpersonal ties are usually more effective in the formation and change of  strongly held attitudes (311).   Research has shown that firm attitudes are developed through  communication exchanges about the innovation with peers and opinion  leaders.  These channels are more  trusted and have greater effectiveness in dealing with resistance or apathy on  the part of the communicatee. 

Persuading  opinion leaders is the easiest way to foment positive attitudes toward an  innovation.  Rogers explains that  the types of opinion leaders that change agents should target depend on the  nature of the social system.  Social  systems can be characterized as heterophilous or homophilous.  On one hand, heterophilous social  systems tend to encourage change from system norms.  In them, there is more interaction  between people from different backgrounds, indicating a greater interest in  being exposed to new ideas.  These  systems have opinion leadership that is more innovative because these systems  are desirous of innovation (289).   On the other hand, homophilous social systems tend toward system  norms.  Most interaction within them  is between people from similar backgrounds.  People and ideas that differ from the  norm are seen as strange and undesirable.   These systems have opinion leadership that is not very innovative because  these systems are averse to innovation (288). 

For heterophilous systems, change agents can  concentrate on targeting the most elite and innovative opinion leaders and the  innovation will trickle-down to non-elites.  If an elite opinion leader is convinced  to adopt an innovation, the rest will exhibit excitement and readiness to learn  and adopt it.  The domino effect  will commence with enthusiasm rather than resistance. 

For homophilous systems, however, encouraging the  diffusion of an innovation is a far more difficult business.  Change agents must target a wider group  of opinion leaders, including some of the less elite, because innovations are  less likely to trickle-down.   Opinion leaders who adopt innovations in homophilous systems are more  likely to be regarded as suspicious and/or dismissed from their opinion  leadership.  Often, opinion leaders  in homophilous systems avoid adopting innovations in hopes of protecting their  opinion leadership (295).   Generally, in homophilous systems, opinion leaders do not control  attitudes as much as pre-existing norms do.  Change agents must, if possible,  communicate to opinion leaders a convincing argument in favor of the innovation  that accentuates the compatibility of the innovation with system norms.  The opinion leaders will then be able to  use this argument, which will hopefully resonate with the masses, to support  their own adoption decision.