Identifying Influence: Development and Validation of the Connectivity, Persuasiveness, and Maven Scales

The use of influential network members to facilitate the process of behavioral change has long been a goal of communication campaign designers, particularly in health settings. In a series of 3 studies, measures of 3 types of influential others (those who are highly connected, persuasive, and informed) who play an important role in the dissemination of information through social networks are developed and validated. Across studies, the data were, in the main, consistent with the hypotheses, suggesting that these indices measure what they purport to measure and that they do it with high reliability. The potential for the connectivity, persuasiveness, and health maven constructs to increase the effectiveness of the diffusion of behavioral change is discussed.