How does hierarchical diffusion differ from contagious diffusion, and what is a typical pattern?

• A. Hierarchical diffusion flows through a chain of command or urban network from major places to smaller ones; contagious diffusion spreads through direct contact broadly.
• B. Contagious diffusion spreads through direct contact broadly; hierarchical diffusion flows through a chain of command or urban network from major places to smaller ones.
• C. Hierarchical diffusion spreads via relocation of people only; contagious diffusion diffuses along cultural lines.
• D. Contagious diffusion relies on media networks; hierarchical diffusion relies on family ties.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how ideas or innovations spread through space, compared through two diffusion patterns. In hierarchical diffusion, the spread follows a chain of command or a connected urban network. Influential places—usually large cities or nodal hubs—introduce a trait, trend, or idea that then moves down to smaller towns and peripheral areas along the network. It often skips places that aren’t well connected to those hubs. An example is a fashion trend starting in major fashion capitals and filtering down to smaller cities as it moves through retailers, media, and networks.

Contagious diffusion spreads by direct contact and proximity. It radiates outward from the origin to nearby people and places, often in a wave-like pattern, because the idea or practice is shared person-to-person and doesn’t depend on hierarchical status or central hubs. Everyday examples include a disease spreading from neighbor to neighbor or a meme spreading rapidly through social circles.

So the typical pattern: hierarchical diffusion shows a top-down flow through an urban network from major places to smaller ones, while contagious diffusion expands broadly through direct contact, especially to neighboring areas.