98
While these models differ from each other in several respects, they tend to
include a number of perceptual, cognitive and/or mental variables, often labelled as
‘determinants’ of adoption behaviour. Some key categories of determinants are
listed below (see Table 4.2). As shown in Fig. 4.1, such determinants are often
regarded as being influenced by personality traits and demographic variables.
4.3 Considerations Related to Interdependence: Towards
an Interactional View on Reasons for (Non)adoption
The individualist perspective on adoption has been criticised for its simplistic notion
of adoption (see the introduction), its pro-innovation bias, its linear connotations
and its lack of attention for social and institutional dimensions of innovation (see
Leeuwis 2004). Similarly, it has been argued that the kind of social-psychological
theories referred to above overemphasise cognitive and rational processes and do
not sufficiently acknowledge limitations in our cognitive capacities (Kahneman
2011) and the importance of heuristics, routine and/or impulsive triggers for behaviour and behaviour change (Petty and Cacioppo 1986; Baumeister et al. 2007).
While these are all valid critiques, we would like to discuss less clearly elaborated
shortcomings that arise from years of experiences in studying the uptake of technology. To highlight these, we continue to assume situations where individuals are
indeed explicitly considering to some degree whether or not to adopt some kind of
practice or technology. We first point to the issue of interdependence as an important omission in the thinking about adoption and then propose additional factors and
variables that may explain why people do or do not adopt a new behaviour or
technology.
4.3.1 The Issue of Interdependence
An issue that tends to be insufficiently acknowledged in the individualist behavioural perspective on adoption is that the performance of a specific behaviour is
always linked with (and dependent on) the performance of other behaviours (Aarts
2018a). Several types of interdependence can be distinguished, labelled below as
vertical, horizontal, intra-individual and time-related interdependencies.
Vertical interdependencies When considering whether or not to adopt a behaviour
or technology, people frequently depend on the behaviours of dissimilar others.
Farmers, for example, are embedded in several value chains and will consider a new
practice in the context of what others in a value chain may do or not do. When considering whether or not to adopt a new crop variety, they may take into account
whether or not local traders will actually be interested to collect and buy the produce, whether the agro-dealer will be willing to provide necessary pesticides on
C. Leeuwis and N. Aarts
While these models differ from each other in several respects, they tend to
include a number of perceptual, cognitive and/or mental variables, often labelled as
‘determinants’ of adoption behaviour. Some key categories of determinants are
listed below (see Table 4.2). As shown in Fig. 4.1, such determinants are often
regarded as being influenced by personality traits and demographic variables.
4.3 Considerations Related to Interdependence: Towards
an Interactional View on Reasons for (Non)adoption
The individualist perspective on adoption has been criticised for its simplistic notion
of adoption (see the introduction), its pro-innovation bias, its linear connotations
and its lack of attention for social and institutional dimensions of innovation (see
Leeuwis 2004). Similarly, it has been argued that the kind of social-psychological
theories referred to above overemphasise cognitive and rational processes and do
not sufficiently acknowledge limitations in our cognitive capacities (Kahneman
2011) and the importance of heuristics, routine and/or impulsive triggers for behaviour and behaviour change (Petty and Cacioppo 1986; Baumeister et al. 2007).
While these are all valid critiques, we would like to discuss less clearly elaborated
shortcomings that arise from years of experiences in studying the uptake of technology. To highlight these, we continue to assume situations where individuals are
indeed explicitly considering to some degree whether or not to adopt some kind of
practice or technology. We first point to the issue of interdependence as an important omission in the thinking about adoption and then propose additional factors and
variables that may explain why people do or do not adopt a new behaviour or
technology.
4.3.1 The Issue of Interdependence
An issue that tends to be insufficiently acknowledged in the individualist behavioural perspective on adoption is that the performance of a specific behaviour is
always linked with (and dependent on) the performance of other behaviours (Aarts
2018a). Several types of interdependence can be distinguished, labelled below as
vertical, horizontal, intra-individual and time-related interdependencies.
Vertical interdependencies When considering whether or not to adopt a behaviour
or technology, people frequently depend on the behaviours of dissimilar others.
Farmers, for example, are embedded in several value chains and will consider a new
practice in the context of what others in a value chain may do or not do. When considering whether or not to adopt a new crop variety, they may take into account
whether or not local traders will actually be interested to collect and buy the produce, whether the agro-dealer will be willing to provide necessary pesticides on
C. Leeuwis and N. Aarts