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Adoption Curves and Social Interactions

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  • William A. Brock
  • Steven N. Durlauf

Abstract

This paper considers the observational implications of social influences on adoption decisions for an environment of perfect foresight adopters. We argue that social influences can produce two observable effects: (1) discontinuities in unconditional adoption curves and (2) pattern reversals in conditional adoption curves, in which earlier adoption is found for one group of actors versus another when fundamentals suggest the reverse ordering should occur; in turn the presence of either of these features can, under weak assumptions, be interpreted as evidence of social influences. As such, these properties are robust implications of social effects. (JEL: C40, D01, O33) (c) 2010 by the European Economic Association.

Suggested Citation

  • William A. Brock & Steven N. Durlauf, 2010. "Adoption Curves and Social Interactions," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 8(1), pages 232-251, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:jeurec:v:8:y:2010:i:1:p:232-251
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    Cited by:

    1. König, Michael & Liu, Xiaodong & Zenou, Yves, 2014. "R&D Networks: Theory, Empirics and Policy Implications," CEPR Discussion Papers 9872, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. ÖZGÜR, Onur & BISIN, Alberto, 2011. "Dynamic Linear Economies with Social Interactions," Cahiers de recherche 04-2011, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ.
    3. Simone Cremaschi & Carlo Devillanova, 2016. "Immigrants and Legal Status: Do Personal Contacts Matter?," CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1629, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), Department of Economics, University College London.
    4. Dimitris Georgarakos & Michael Haliassos & Giacomo Pasini, 2014. "Household Debt and Social Interactions," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(5), pages 1404-1433.
    5. Khan, M. Ali & Rath, Kali P. & Sun, Yeneng & Yu, Haomiao, 2013. "Large games with a bio-social typology," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 148(3), pages 1122-1149.
    6. Semih Tumen & Tugba Zeydanli, 2015. "Is Happiness Contagious? Separating Spillover Externalities from the Group-Level Social Context," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 719-744, June.
    7. She, Chih-Min, 2015. "What determines the technology adoption of firms under optimal tax?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 274-289.
    8. Johannes Rode & Sven Müller, 2016. "Spatio-temporal variation in peer effects - The case of rooftop photovoltaic systems in Germany," ERSA conference papers ersa16p579, European Regional Science Association.
    9. R. Bentley & Michael O’Brien & Paul Ormerod, 2011. "Quality versus mere popularity: a conceptual map for understanding human behavior," Mind & Society: Cognitive Studies in Economics and Social Sciences, Springer;Fondazione Rosselli, vol. 10(2), pages 181-191, December.
    10. Steven N. Durlauf & Daniel S. Nagin, 2010. "The Deterrent Effect of Imprisonment," NBER Chapters,in: Controlling Crime: Strategies and Tradeoffs, pages 43-94 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. William R. Kerr & Martin Mandorff, 2015. "Social Networks, Ethnicity, and Entrepreneurship," NBER Working Papers 21597, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Muliere, Pietro & Suverato, Davide, 2014. "Income and Wealth Distributions in a Population of Heterogeneous Agents," Discussion Papers in Economics 20928, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    13. repec:bla:econom:v:84:y:2017:i:336:p:712-747 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Maness, Michael & Cirillo, Cinzia, 2016. "An indirect latent informational conformity social influence choice model: Formulation and case study," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 75-101.
    15. Paolo Zeppini & Koen Frenken & Luis R. Izquierdo, 2013. "Innovation diffusion in networks: the microeconomics of percolation," Working Papers 13-02, Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies, revised Feb 2013.
    16. Paul Niehaus, 2011. "Filtered Social Learning," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 119(4), pages 686-720.
    17. Bet Caeyers, 2014. "Exclusion bias in empirical social interaction models: causes, consequences and solutions," CSAE Working Paper Series 2014-05, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    18. Costas Azariadis & Yannis M. Ioannides, 2014. "Thinking About Corruption in Greece," Discussion Papers Series, Department of Economics, Tufts University 0783, Department of Economics, Tufts University.
    19. repec:zur:econwp:142 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. M. Ali Khan & Kali P. Rath & Yeneng Sun & Haomiao Yu, 2011. "On Large Games with a Bio-Social Typology," Economics Working Paper Archive 585, The Johns Hopkins University,Department of Economics.
    21. Olugbenga Ajilore, 2015. "Identifying peer effects using spatial analysis: the role of peers on risky sexual behavior," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 635-652, September.
    22. Colombo, Emilio & Stanca, Luca, 2014. "Measuring the monetary value of social relations: A hedonic approach," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 77-87.
    23. repec:oxf:wpaper:wps/2014-05 is not listed on IDEAS

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C40 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - General
    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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