Single Trait versus Multi-Trait Opinion Leadership Models

Abstract

The superdiffuser model identifies a particular kind of opinion leader, those with three different traits beneficial to opinion leadership: connectedness, persuasiveness, and mavenness. Two other models of opinion leadership (strength of personality and generalized opinion leader) focus on a single trait conceptually including elements of both the persuader and connector traits. A nomological network of the superdiffuser model’s connector trait was developed and used to assess the extent to which the two other opinion leader models are distinct from the connector’s nomological network. Competing hypotheses were derived from the single trait and the superdiffuser multi-trait models. A survey (N = 700) was conducted to test these claims. The balance of the evidence was in favor of the superdiffuser model hypotheses with some important exceptions.