Citation

Dodd SC. Am. J. Sociol. 1956; 61(5): 425-432.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1956, University of Chicago Press)

DOI

10.1086/221801

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A new instrument, "chain tags," has been devised for getting measurable data on message diffusion. A dramatic and controllable method of starting the diffusion process, it can isolate, vary, or hold constant the maximum for each of the following variables, alone or in combination as desired: number of starters; number of eventual hearers; the acts-per-actor-per-remove or period, area, and population within which diffusion takes place; the number of removes; the inter-person distances and periods. This study illustrates the usefulness of the chain-tags technique in testing a theoretical model of one-way human interacting and comparing the strength of different motivations to diffuse a message.