A region’s readiness for radical innovation may hinge on the psychological openness of its residents, according to a new study. Researchers found that areas where individuals are more receptive to new experiences and unfamiliar ideas tend to be earlier adopters of novel technologies and business models.
The study, published in the journal Research Policy, analyzed personality data from over 3.2 million Americans across 349 metropolitan regions. This data was then compared with the initial spread of digital platforms such as Airbnb, Uber, and Flickr. The findings indicate that regions with more psychologically open populations demonstrated stronger early adoption rates for these platforms, even when accounting for economic, demographic, infrastructural, social, and geographical factors.
Psychological openness, one of the established Big Five personality traits, encompasses curiosity, a willingness to engage with the unconventional, and receptiveness to new ideas. Researchers described this trait as an “invisible social infrastructure,” suggesting its impact on how readily people embrace novelty, akin to the influence of visible infrastructure like roads or broadband networks.
“What stood out was the consistency of the pattern,” stated Professor Tobias Ebert of the University of St Gallen. “Psychological openness was the only factor reliably associated with adoption across all of the three innovations we studied.” The study observed substantial variations in openness levels, with the proportion of highly open individuals ranging from approximately 21% to 48% across the studied metropolitan areas. Cities like San Francisco, Portland, and Austin were frequently identified as leading adopters, while El Paso, Flint, and Jackson appeared among the lowest.
This psychological factor is particularly significant during the nascent stages of an innovation. For instance, early adoption of Airbnb required individuals to be willing to host strangers, and Uber relied on people offering rides in their personal vehicles. Similarly, early social media platforms like Flickr depended on users creating and sharing content before such practices were widespread. These innovations often demanded users adopt unfamiliar behaviors, with their participation being crucial for the service’s creation and viability.
“Someone has to be willing to try a new behavior before everyone else regards it as normal,” explained Professor Martin Obschonka of the Amsterdam Business School at the University of Amsterdam. “This can be especially important for platforms, which need enough local users, hosts, drivers or content creators to generate the network effects that make them useful and viable.”
These findings introduce a behavioral element into the understanding of innovation ecosystems. While regions typically focus on physical infrastructure, investment, and skilled workforces to foster innovation, this study suggests that the psychological makeup of a population also plays a critical role. For businesses, understanding local behavioral receptivity could provide an additional guide when introducing new technologies or business models. Policymakers might also consider these psychological differences when analyzing adoption rates, as they may not always be solely attributable to infrastructure or investment.
While the study did not directly examine artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, the researchers believe the broader question of public readiness for new technologies is increasingly pertinent. “We did not study AI adoption, so we should be careful not to extrapolate,” cautioned Obschonka. “But when a genuinely new technology arrives, its future does not depend only on the technology itself. It also depends on whether people are ready to experiment with it.”
