Although diffusion models have been successfully used to predict the adoption patterns of new products and technologies, little research has examined the psychological processes underlying the individual consumer’s adoption decision. This research shows that both existing knowledge which includes primary base domain knowledge and supplementary base domain knowledge and innovation continuity are major factors influencing the consumer’s adoption process.
In two experiments, compared with novices, experts in primary base domain knowledge report higher comprehension, more net benefits, and therefore higher preferences and higher purchase intentions for continuous innovations. However, for discontinuous innovations, experts’ entrenched knowledge is related to lower comprehension, fewer perceived net benefits, and lower preferences and lower purchase intentions compared with that of novices. Only when this entrenched knowledge is accompanied by relevant information from a supplementary knowledge base are experts able to understand and appreciate discontinuous innovations. And, experts in supplementary base domain knowledge report higher comprehension. In addition, there was an interaction effect between primary base domain knowledge and supplementary base domain knowledge in comprehending discontinuous innovations.
And, this paper also examined the effects of knowledge and the type of message on comprehension and perceived net benefits. Experts and novices differ in the types of information that promote detailed message processing. Experts are more likely to process a message in detail when given only attribute information, while novices are more likely to do so when given benefit information. So, experts in primary base domain knowledge report higher comprehension and net benefits for attribute-based message. Therefore, these findings have implications for segmentation, media planning, and the creation of product/brand loyalty when new products are launched.
