Question

In adopter categories, what is the percentage of early adopters in a social system to adopt an innovation?

• A. 2.5
• B. 13.5
• C. 16.0
• D. 34

Hint:

Remember the symmetrical structure of Rogers' bell curve:
$2.5\%$ (Innovators) + $13.5\%$ (Early Adopters) = $16\%$ (under 1 standard deviation on the left).
This mirrors the $16\%$ of Laggards on the far right of the curve.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Everett M. Rogers classified members of a social system into five categories based on the standard deviation of their adoption time under a normal bell-shaped curve.
Key Formula or Approach:
The distribution of the five adopter categories under the normal distribution curve is defined by the following fixed percentages:
- Innovators: $2.5\%$
- Early Adopters: $13.5\%$
- Early Majority: $34.0\%$
- Late Majority: $34.0\%$
- Laggards: $16.0\%$

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us review the characteristics of each portion of this population distribution:
- The first $2.5\%$ to adopt are the Innovators, who are highly venturesome.
- The next $13.5\%$ are the Early Adopters, who are respected opinion leaders.
- The next $34\%$ are the Early Majority, who adopt with deliberation.
- The next $34\%$ are the Late Majority, who are skeptical and adopt after the average member.
- The final $16\%$ are the Laggards, who are traditional and slow to change.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The exact percentage of Early Adopters is $13.5\%$, which corresponds to Option (B).