L. Bingham

Comm 303

Final Project

Spring 2013

WHAT WILL THE

COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGY

LANDSCAPE LOOK LIKE

IN 2023 AD?

From flip phones to razrs to iPhones- the process of everyone slowly adapting to the new technology is called the Diffusion Theory…

Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation (aka Diffusion Theory) states that “an innovation is communicated over time through different channels to members of a social system”.

Several characteristics of the Diffusion Theory:

A. relative advantage

B. compatibility

C. complexity

D. trialability

E. observability

This whole sl ide was taken from our text: Grant & Meadows, 2012.

ROGER’S DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION

InnovatorsEarly

Adopters

Early Majority

Late Majority

Late Adopters

Slow

pokes

(“Rogers’ Diffusion of”)

Knowledge

Persuasion

Decision

Implementation

Confirmation

Person becomes

aware of the new

innovation

Person develops his/her

opinion on the new

innovation

Person decides to accept or reject the innovation

and begins to make actions

towards accepting or rejecting the innovation

Person takes the actions

from the previous step and starts to

integrate them even

more

Person confirms or

denies his/her

previous decision to

accept/reject this

innovation.

(Orr, 2008)

CRITICAL MASS THEORY

Our text explains to us that the Critical Mass Theory is the group of people who are

willing to be the first to try new innovations. These users contribute to “collective

action”, which is the whole taking the risk part. They take the risk, to further help

initiation of “universal access”. Universal access is the ultimate goal, when can

ultimately make technology the MOST useful by allowing everyone to use it. When

the innovation takes off, the peak it has to reach is known as the “critical

mass”, according to our text (Grant & Meadows, 2012).

The website “Save Pune, Act Now” gives a great explanation of Critical Mass Theory.

It uses monkeys as an example. Stating that monkeys on one island started a

certain behavior, they stayed on that island; however, miraculously, the monkeys on

another island across the ocean started doing the exact same behavior. The author

of “Save Pune, Act Now” states: “When a limited number of people know

something in a new way, it remains the conscious property of only those

people. However, there is a point at which if only one more person tunes in to a new

awareness, that new awareness is picked up by everyone.”

(The Critical Mass Theory)

T h is p i c t u r e

se r ves a s a g o o d

exa m p les o f t h e

C r i t i c a l M a ss

T h eo r y. T h e id ea

b eh in d t h e t h eo r y

i s t h a t i t s t a r t s

w i t h o n e g ro u p

( r ep r esen ted by

t h e s in g le , b ig g e r

“ U” o n t h e f a r

l e f t ) . T h en , t h e

p ro d u c t a t h a n d

ex p a n d s t h ro u g h

t h e

wo r ld , even t u a l l y

r ea c h in g ju s t

a b o u t eve r yo n e .

( E ve r yo n e b e in g

r ep r esen ted by

t h e t in ie r b a l l s o f

e lem en t s to t h e

r i g h t o f t h e m a in

“ U” )

CRITICAL

MASS

THEORY….

AGAIN.

SOCIAL INFORMATION

PROCESSING THEORY

THROUGH

DISTANCE

LANGUAGE

BARRIERS

AND EVEN

CULTURAL

DIFFERENCES

Be i t

d is tance, cu l tural

d i f ferences, techn

ology, etc . These

th ings make i t

d i f f icult for us .

According to

w isegeek .com, we

are born wi th a

des i re to

communicate , and

wi l l do so no

matter the

d i f f iculty.

THE SOCIAL

INFORMATION

PROCESSING THEORY

EXPLAINS HOW IT IS

PLAUSIBLE FOR PEOPLE

TO INTERACT WITH EACH

OTHER THROUGH THINGS

THAT SHOULD MAKE IT

DIFFICULT FOR US TO

COMMUNICATE.

We, as media

users, choose our

own mix of media

that fit our personal

tastes.

This can come in the

form of:

Music

Books

Websites

TV shows

Etc.

USES AND GRATIFICATION THEORY

According to our text (Grant & Meadows, 2012):

7 isolated categories

Social and physiological origins

Needs

Expectations

Mass media or other sources

Differential patterns of media exposure

Needs gratifications

Other consequences

Criticisms of this theory:

Power of media is not taken into account

The theory focuses mainly on the people being affected

(Users and Gratifications Theory)

USES AND GRATIFICATION THEORY

Focuses on

how we

learn by

copying

others

( G r a n t &

M ea d ow s , 2 01 2)

.

SOCIAL LEARNING

THEORY

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

Hey! How

are you?Hey!

How are

you?

One person models

greeting people with

“Hey! How are you?”

Now everyone does it.

This is an example of

the Social Learning

Theory…

Hey!

How

are

you?

Hey!

How are

you?

Hey! How

are you?

Hey! How

are you?

Hey!

How are

you?

The five theories I have listed in this powerpoint: Roger’s Diffusion of

Innovation, Critical Mass Theory, Social Information Processing Theory, Uses and

Gratification Theory, and the Social Learning Theory, have all influenced me in some

way. The Diffusion Theory has influenced me obviously through the use of cellular

phones, computer/internet, radio, etc. Although most of these things I grew up

using, so I wasn’t part of the initial diffusion, but I still had to learn how to work

them, as well as, adapt to them- especially the ever changing internet (and cell

phones)! The Critical Mass Theory has made its way into my life through me being a

go-getter. I’m the risk taker who will try new technological advances! Social

Information Processing Theory has influenced me in many ways: I know several

thousands of people thanks to my motivation to meet new people, and also the

Internet helps me keep in touch with those who are many miles away. I read some

where where they criticized this theory for its depersonalization due to the internet;

however, if anything the internet has helped me stay in touch with those too far away

in other countries (granted, its hard to show emotion through the computer, but that

has nothing to do with the internet, and everything to do with the computer itself). The

Uses and Gratification Theory prove why I get a sense of happiness through using

technology. Technology makes my life so much easier (most of the time!). It has also

influenced my expectations of certain technological pieces. And lastly, the Social

Learning Theory, obviously, this theory has help mold me into a normal person! I don’t

sit around and write stories on walls, or walk on all fours anymore. I can communicate

effectively and I can also understand what someone is trying to communicate to me

as well, thanks to this theory.

Resources

Grant, A., & Meadows, J. (2012). Communication technology update and fundamentals.

(13th ed., pp. 26-31). Waltham, MA: Focal Press.

Rogers' diffusion of innovations. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/w/x/wxh139/Rogers.htm

Orr, G. (18, March 2003). Diffusion of innovations, by everett rogers (1995). Retrieved

from http://www.stanford.edu/class/symbsys205/Diffusion of Innovations.htm

The critical mass theory. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://savepune.tripod.com/id7.html

What is the social information processing theory?. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-social-information-processing-theory.htm

Uses and gratification theory. (n.d.). Retrieved from:

http://communicationtheory.org/uses-and-gratification-theory/

Resources (Pictures)

Flip phone and Razr phone: www.lg.com

iPhone 5: www.att.com

Knowledge (slide 7): www.benniecarter.com

Persuasion (slide 7): www.communicationissuccess.blogspot.com

Decision (slide 7): www.rajivbajaj.net

Implementation (slide 7): www.ultraconsultants.com

Confirmation (slide 7): www.saintvdp.org

Computer on Social Processing Theory slide 11:

www.timpottersugarland.blogspot.com

World on Social Processing Theory slide 12: www.highlandmall.com

Note:

I use the Kindle verson (Ebook) of our text: Communication Technology Update and

Fundamentals, so the pages listed might differ from the actual pages in the

paperback form.

Also, all images referenced were searched on Google, not the actual website.

However, I cited the websites just to make sure there was no plagiarism.