Tipped over: social influence “tipping point” theory debunked

0atwong • 4th Feb 2008 • Conversation Pieces

Tipped over: social influence “tipping point” theory debunked
Clive Thompson has been getting some well-deserved attention for his recent Fast Company piece, in which Columbia University sociologist Duncan Watts explodes the hierarchical theory of social influence and trend propagation popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in the bestselling book The Tipping Point. Gladwell’s model, which has itself become something of a cultural epidemic, posits that a few hyperconnected “influentials” are the key to the runaway viral spread of fads, fashions, ideas, and behaviors.