Author
Gabriel Tarde
Year
1890
The Laws of Imitation
Gabriel Tarde. 1903. (View Paper → )
This is more of a book than a paper - so I wouldn’t recommend reading it. But Tarde’s work informed later research into the diffusion of innovation.
His research emphasised the social aspect of how ideas spread - which birthed disciplines like positioning and GTM.
Laws of Imitation:
- Law of Close Contact: Imitation spreads through close social or geographical proximity.
- Law of Imitation of Superiors by Inferiors: People imitate those of higher status.
- Law of Insertion: New ideas spread by integrating into or replacing existing ones.