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Early adopters: More integrated into local social system ... respected by his or her peers ... decreases uncertainty about a new idea by adopting it.

Early majority: Seldom hold positions of opinion leadership in a system ... may deliberate for some time before adopting ... "Be not the first by which the new is tried / Nor the last to lay the old aside."

Late majority: Adopts due to economic necessity and the result of increasing peer pressure ... most uncertainty must be removed prior to adoption.

Laggards: Possess no opinion leadership ... the most localite in their outlook of any adopter category ... suspicious of change agents and innovation.
 
 
 
 
 

Early adopters generally are more highly educated, have higher social status, are more open to both mass media and
interpersonal channels of communication, and have more contact with change agents. Mass media channels are relatively
more important at the knowledge stage, whereas interpersonal channels are relatively more important at the persuasion
stage.

Innovation decisions may be optional, where the person or organization has a real opportunity to adopt or reject the idea,
collective, where a decision is reached by consensus among the members of a system, or authority-based, where a decision is imposed by another person or organization that possesses requisite power, status or technical expertise.
 
 

Relative Advantage: the degree to which an innovation is perceived as better than what it supersedes.

Compatibility: the degree to which an innovation is perceived as consistent with existing values, past experiences, and needs.

Complexity: the degree to which an innovation is perceived as difficult to understand and use.

Trialability: the degree to which an innovation may be experimented with on a limited basis.

Observability: the degree to which the results of an innovation are visible to the receiver and others.