ABSTRACT
SOURCES OF TECHNOLOGICAL INFORMATION AND INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOR: A CASE STUDY OF DAIRY PRODUCERS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTRY, CHILE

Carlos A. Amtmann M.1, Francisco Fernández M.2 y José Naranjo Y. 3
 

This paper reports on information sources used in the adoption of artificial insemination by a random sample (n = 112) of the 630 dairy producers in Los Angeles county, Chile.
It was observed that in the first stage of the adoption process the majority of the farmers obtained information through formal sources. The use of this type of sources increased at the persuasion stage but was lower in the following stages.
The use of information sources in relation to adopters categories is also considered. Different patterns of communication behavior are observed among adopters do the non adopters during the first stages of the adoption process. Farmers who have desisted on the application of the innovation use more formal sources than non adopters but less than adopters.
When variables such as educational level and economic status are considered as test factors, differences regarding the type of information source utilized by adopters categories tend to decrease.

Keywords:
1Méd. Vet., Profesor del Departamento de Sociología, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile.
2Licenciado en Sociología, M. A., Profesor del Departamento de Sociología, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile.
3Méd. Vet., Los Angeles, Chile.