Abstracts

Screening for Adopters of Innovation: Using Personality Traits to Distinguish Between Segments

by Esther Sungeun Kim




Institution: Savannah College of Art and Design
Department:
Year: 2017
Keywords: Thesis (M.F.A.) Design Management; Savannah College of Art and Design Department of Design Management
Posted: 02/01/2018
Record ID: 2166710
Full text PDF: http://ecollections.scad.edu/iii/cpro/DigitalItemViewPage.external?sp=1003862


Abstract

Bibliographical references: pages 107-121 "This exploratory study revisits the theory on Adopters of Innovation (Rogers, 1962) and strategiesfor Crossing the Chasm (Moore, 1991) in an attempt to provide a more human-centered approachto transitioning between Early Adopter and Early Majority segments. For the purposes of betteridentifying members of the Early Adopter and Early Majority segments to recruit for designresearch, a screener was developed using a mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitativemethods. To better understand possible causations for consumer behavior, adopter characteristicswere measured and correlated with risk-taking and impulsivity personality trait scores from threepsychobiological personality assessments: the Temperament-Character Inventory, Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Statistical analysesof reliability, power, and construct validity revealed the following conclusions: First, that themajority of adopters do not fall neatly into the segment profiles as assumed by theory. Secondly,screening for the Early Adopter and Early Majority is not as simple as converting adoptercharacteristics into questions. Lastly, measuring personality traits can predict certain adoptercharacteristics, but determining actual placement into a segment will depend on market context." Keywords: design management, design research, personality, risk-taking, impulsivity, adoptersegments, crossing the Chasm, diffusion of innovation, Cloninger, Zuckerman, EysenckAdvisors/Committee Members: CHAIR: Hardy, Tom, Kokkinou, Irini, Karageorgiou, Elissaios.