Final answer:
The correct answer is option 2. Early adopters make up a crucial segment in the Technology Adoption Lifecycle and represent approximately 13.5 percent of the total consumer base, according to sociologist Everett Rogers' diffusion of innovations model. They are essential for influencing the adoption among the broader consumer market.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question regards the percentage of early adopters in the diffusion of innovations model, which was developed by sociologist Everett Rogers in 1962. According to Rogers, early adopters make up a relatively small percentage of the total potential user base for a new product. The options given are various percentages, and the correct answer aligns with Rogers' model. The early adopters are defined as part of the group that follows the innovators in adopting new technologies or products.
In the Technology Adoption Lifecycle, the adopter categories are often broken down into five segments: Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards. According to this model, early adopters represent about 13.5 percent of the total consumer base. They play a critical role in the adoption process, providing feedback and influencing the early majority.
The remainder of the adoption curve consists of the Early Majority at 34 percent, Late Majority also at 34 percent, and lastly, the Laggards at 16 percent. These groups represent different levels of willingness and capacity to adopt a new product or innovation, with early adopters being key to driving an innovation's uptake beyond the initial innovators.
Therefore, the correct option for the percentage of early adopters is 13.5 percent.