The Iowa Study of Hybrid Seed Corn: The Adoption of Innovation Chapter 6 The Iowa Study of Hybrid Seed Corn: The Adoption of Innovation

Historical Background Out of the Industrial Revolution came thousands of new innovations. People moved to the cities, but didn’t know neighbors well. Became more dependent on mass media for… information ideas new products innovations

Historical Background (con’t) Gabriel Tarde, French Sociologist (1890) Wondered why one new thing, practice, or idea is well received and widely adopted, while another is all but ignored? Was interested in the human decision-making process that led people to adopt or reject a given innovation when it came to their attention. Weakness: He did not see the connection between the adoption of innovation and the creation of public awareness of a particular invention thru the use of mass communication.

Example of the “S” Curve

Background to Iowa Study Morrill Act (1862) Led to “land-grant” universities Schools of Agriculture Departments of Rural Sociology After WWII, many advances in agricultural science. Productivity increased

Background (con’t) Found that not all farmers adopted innovations and new technologies. Some adopted soon, others waited, still others didn’t adopt at all Researchers were frustrated. They realized that studying the human side of innovation adoption was worthwhile. Against this backdrop, a study was undertaken at Iowa State University.

Overview of Iowa Study Subject: adoption of hybrid seed corn By 1939 75% of Iowa farmers were using hybrid seed, but no studies done of when, why, how farmers switched to the new seed. Conducted by: Bryce Ryan and Neal Gross, published in 1943. Method: survey interviews of 259 farmers near Ames, Iowa

Research Questions What factors played a part in the decision to take up the new seed? How did this innovation come to the farmer’s attention? (i.e. thru what channels?) What were the roles of the radio, print media, salesmen, friends, or other communication? What was the relative importance of each? How much time lapsed from initial information to adoption? What was the pattern by which the innovation spread over time?

Findings Source Original Most Knowledge Influential Neighbors 14.6% 45.5% Salesmen 49.0% 32.0% Farm Journal 10.7% 2.3% Radio Advertising 10.3% Extension Service 2.8% 2.4% Relatives 3.5% 4.2% Personal Experiment 6.6% All others 9.1% 7.0%

Findings (con’t) Relationship between first learning and decision to adopt had gap of several years. (ave. 5-6 years) Relationship between time and degree of interpersonal and media sources as channels of information very complex. Neighbors far more influential than salesmen

Adoption Process 5 Major Stages 1st stage: Awareness 2nd stage: Interest 3rd stage: Evaluation 4th stage: Trial 5th stage: Adoption Source: Everett M. Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations, 1963

Types of Adopters Everett M. Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations, 3rd ed Early Majority 34% Late Majority 34% Innovators 13.5% 16% 2.5% Early Adopters Laggards