Social Network Theory, Social Cognitive theory, and Diffusion of Innovations

How is social network theory an interpersonal theory?

because it assumes that other people have an impact or influence on our behavior by being positive motivators

Explain what a social network is

connections between individual (resources)

How can infectious disease move/spread through networks?

If we have a cold and sneeze on our hands then touch someone with the unwashed hands, we could infect that person

How can public health behavior move/ spread through networks?

birds of a feather flock together, if there is an obese friends, hangouts might consist of a lot of unhealthy eating and their friends will be obese as well

in social networks, relationships can form between people, groups, and organizations with similar interests (homophily)

1. Friendships among individual

2. working relationships between organizations

3. foreign policy between nations

what influences behavior with the SNT?

Networks

The difference between social networks theory and social network analysis

theory: is ways in which networks influence behavior analysis: is how we use networks to measure constructs in theory ( algorithms, computation)

The constructs of Social Network Theory

1. Actors/nodes- the individual,organizations, nation/state

2. Ties- the relationship between actors and nodes

3. Dyads/Triads- a social group between two people who are linked considers

   balance: the degree of agreement between actors and nodes and Transitivity: strength of ties between actors

What is mutuality-reciprocation?

there’s a give and take relationship between actors in relationships mutuality contributes to stronger networks and norms of trust

what are distance, density and centrality in SNT?

Distance: number of ties a node has

density: number of actual connection/number of possible connections

Centralitt: central leaders in the network based on degree- the number of ties a node has, closeness- proximity to others in the network, and betweenness- links between different parts of the networl

Challenges of SNT

Privacy, security, representativeness of population, virtual vs.reality

Developer of social cognitive theory and the year?

Alfred Bandura in 1977

What is the assumption of Social Cognitive theory?

all human behavior is influenced by the immediate social environment

The Bobo doll experiments

children were made to watch adults interact violently with a doll, when the children were then observed for their interactions with the doll those who watched aggressive adults also displayed violence

The 4 components of the social cognitive theory

Attention, memory, imitation, motivation AM I Motivated

Constructs of Social Cognitive theory in order

1. knowledge:

   content knowledge: understanding advantages and drawbacks of a given health behavior

   procedural knowledge: understanding how to engage in a given health behavior

2. perceived self-efficacy: a person’s perception of his/her ability to perform a specific behavior

3. Outcome expectations:: anticipated positive outcomes that stem from engaging in a positive behavior

4. Goal Formation: in order to reach goals they must be set with sub-goals that need to be well-defined and easy to measure

5. Sociostructural factors: states that the world people live in enables and limits their ability to effectively engage in goal-directed behaviors

1st SCT construct: knowledge

Content knowledge: understanding advantages and drawbacks of a given  health behavior

Procedural knowledge: understanding how to engage in a given health behavior

2nd SCT construct: perceived self-efficacy

a person’s perception of his/her ability to perform a specific behavior

has to be “task specific” ex: exercising versus eating healthy

3rd SCT construct: outcome expectations

anticipated positive outcomes that stem from engaging in a positive behavior ex: if I use a condom I won’t get an std

4th SCT construct: Goal Formation

in order to reach goals they must be set with sub-goals that need to be well-defined and easy to measure

5th SCT Construct: Socio-structural factors

states that the world people live in enables and limits their ability to effectively engage in goal-directed behaviors ex: SES and cultural and physical environment

Expectancies vs. Expectations

Expectations are the belief that if I do X, then Y will happen while Expectancies: entails the expectation that y will occur after x with a value attached to Y  

Why is health changing according to Bandura?

Doctors are still treating the illness but not the structural roots  that deals with the inequities that we face we need to be focusing on prevention and promoting healthy behaviors which can be done by practing social cognitive theory and self efficacy

Strengths of Social Cognitive Theory

 precise and testable, carefully controlled, practical applications across lifespan

Limitations of Social Cognitive theory

It assumes that changes in the environment automatically leads to changes in the person, inadequate account of lifespan changes, ignores genetic processes, ignores maturational puproses

Diffusion of innovation: what is diffusion?

It is a special form of communication in which the idea that is being conveyed is new

Examples of diffusions

slang like, lit, tea, neat that are spread via radio, internet, publications, newspapers, billboards

How did the Diffusions of innovations theory begin?

1900s Gabriel Tarde wrote laws of limitations, then Everret Rogers came along in 1962 and wrote diffusion of innovation

Diffusion of Innovation Constructs in order

1. Innovation: an idea, practice, or product (including services) that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of an adaptation

2. Communications channels: the means by which messages are transferred between individuals

3. TIme- a innovation decision process

4. Social system: a series of interrelationships between individuals, groups, and institutions to function as a cohesive unit

attributes of innovation: Perceived relative advantage, Compatibility, Complexity

Perceived relative advantage: the perception of how goos this new product, idea or practice is compared with the one it will replace                 

Compatibility: the perception of the new product’s consistency with the values, past experiences, and needs of potential adopters

Complexity: the perception of the degree of difficulty in understanding and using the new idea, practice, or product

Attributes of innovation: Demonstrability, Clarity of results, Costs

Demonstrability: is the degree to which  an innovation may be experimented with on a limited basis

Clarity of results (observability): is the degree to which outcomes on an innovation are clearly visible

Costs: the tangible and intangible expenses incurred in the adoption of a new idea, practice, or product

what are the 3 communication channels?

1. mass media

2. interpersonal channels

3. interactive communication channels, such as the internet

attributes of innovation: Reversibility, Pervasiveness, Reinvention

Reversibility: refers to the ability and degree to which status quo can be reinstated by ceasing to use the innovation

Pervasiveness: the degree to which an innovation requires changes or adjustments by other elements in the social system

  Reinvention: is the degree to which a potential adopter can adopt refine, or modify the innovation to suit his or her needs

5 steps to time innovation decision process

1.        gathering knowledge about the innovation

2.        getting persuaded about the innovation

3.        deciding whether to adopt or reject the innovation

4.        implementing the innovation

5.        confirming whether to reverse the decision or adopt the renovation

limitations of Diffusion of innovations

1.         health promotion and health education interventions often have to be designed for low ses groups, people with low literacy levels and other vulnerable groups where adoption is a difficult process

2.         Pro-innovation bias: an innovation should be diffused and adopted by all members in a rapid manner without rejection or reinvention

3.         The adoption of innovation seldom follows a linear path as suggested in the theory: often the path is uneven and fitting the innovation to The s- shape curve is not possible (

What was the corn study about

Hybrid study, iowa farmers over 15 years started doing an innovation hybrid growing technique  of corn which was unheard of and created a s-shaped curve