Can Network Theory-Based Targeting Increase Technology Adoption?
结合马拉维200个村庄的社会网络数据和实地实验，研究发现向网络中心农户定向推广信息能显著促进新技术扩散，其机制在于复杂传染过程：农户需从多人处学习后才采纳，否则扩散可能停滞。
Can targeting information to network-central farmers induce more adoption of a new agricultural technology? By combining social network data and a field experiment in 200 villages in Malawi, we find that targeting central farmers is important to spur the diffusion process. We also provide evidence of one explanation for why centrality matters: a diffusion process governed by complex contagion. Our results are consistent with a model in which many farmers need to learn from multiple people before they adopt themselves. This means that without proper targeting of information, the diffusion process can stall and technology adoption remains perpetually low.