What are the five adopter categories in Diffusion of Innovations?

• A. Innovators, Early Adopters, Opinion Leaders, Early Majority
• B. Leaders, Followers, Neutrals, Skeptics
• C. Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, Laggards
• D. Pioneers, Early Adopters, Mainstream, Opponents

Answer: (C)

Diffusion of Innovations explains how a new idea or technology spreads through a social system and why people adopt it at different times. The five adopter categories reflect when individuals are likely to adopt relative to others: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. Innovators are the venturesome first to try new ideas; early adopters are respected opinion leaders who help influence others; the early majority adopt after careful consideration and require evidence and endorsements; the late majority are skeptical and often adopt due to social pressure and normalization; and laggards are traditionalists who are the last to adopt, usually resisting change until it is well established. This five-group breakdown is the standard framing in Rogers’ model, capturing the progression from quick to slow adopters and the social dynamics that drive diffusion. The other options mix terms that don’t align with the established categories or omit one or more groups, so they don’t fit the canonical framework as well.