Final answer:
The first users of a new innovation, known as innovators, are most influenced by personal experience and curiosity. They act independently of social norms and peer pressure and are characterized by a willingness to experiment and have the necessary resources to adopt new innovations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first users of a new innovation, known as innovators, are most likely to be influenced by personal experience and curiosity. Influenced not just by social norms, these individuals are willing to take risks and are intrinsically motivated to try new things. They act independently of social norms and peer pressure, unlike later adopters who might be more impacted by advertising and marketing campaigns, or further down the line by economic incentives and discounts.
Still, it's important to recognize that different factors can influence this early adoption phase. While innovators are characterized by their willingness to experiment and separate their actions from the mainstream, social norms can still have an indirect influence by shaping the broader environment in which these innovators operate. Typically, these early adopters have sufficient financial resources, the capacity to understand complex technologies, and a network of social contacts that can provide feedback and support.
The model of the diffusion of innovations, developed by Everett Rogers, shows how different groups adopt a new technology or idea over time. Innovators, the first group to adopt a new idea, comprise a small percentage of the population and are crucial to the initiation of an innovation's lifecycle.