Social Media Mining: An Introduction

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7.3 Diffusion of Innovations 195

Opinion

Leader

Opinion

Leader

Opinion

Leader

Opinion

Leader

Individuals in Social Contact

with an Opinion Leader

Opinion

Leader

Mass

Media

Figure 7.6. Katz Two-Step Flow Model.

addition to a study similar to the adoption of hybrid corn seed on how physi-

cians adopted the new tetracycline drug [Coleman et al., 1966], Katz also

developed atwo-step flowmodel (also known as themultistep flow model)

[Katz and Lazarsfeld, 2005] that describes how information is delivered

through mass communication. The basic idea is depicted in Figure7.6.

Most information comes from mass media and is then directed toward

influential figures calledopinion leaders. These leaders then convey the

information (or form opinions) and act as hubs for other members of the

society.