A recent study examining the behavior of 3.2 million Americans has identified a key factor influencing the speed at which residents of various cities adopt technologies like Airbnb, Uber, and Flickr: their openness to new experiences. Researchers from the University of St. Gallen and the University of Amsterdam found that city populations with higher openness scores embraced these platforms earlier than those in less open areas.
The study analyzed 349 metropolitan regions, revealing that psychological openness significantly correlated with early adoption of these technologies, even when controlling for factors such as income, education, and internet access. “What stood out was the consistency of the pattern,” said Tobias Ebert from the University of St. Gallen. “Psychological openness was the only factor reliably associated with adoption across all three innovations we studied.”
Openness Varies By Region
Openness, a personality trait characterized by curiosity and a willingness to engage with new ideas, was assessed using a survey that asked participants to rate statements like “Is curious about many different things.” From 2004 to 2015, 3,234,899 respondents across the United States completed this survey. Their answers were aggregated to determine openness scores for each metropolitan area, with Bismarck, North Dakota, scoring an average of 3.48 out of 5, while Santa Fe, New Mexico, led with 3.93.
These findings revealed that the proportion of residents scoring 4 or higher—considered open—varied widely, from 21% in the least open regions to 48% in the most open areas. This discrepancy could have significant implications for technology adoption rates in different cities.
The research team turned to tax records to track the adoption of Airbnb and Uber by examining new business filings related to accommodation and transportation. Following the launch of Airbnb in 2009, for example, San Diego reported a substantial increase in new accommodations, averaging 9.5 new businesses per 100,000 residents compared to 2.2 in Minneapolis over the same period.
Regions that embraced one platform tended to adopt others quickly as well. The correlation between openness and early adoption was approximately 0.4 for each platform and 0.49 collectively. For instance, a region scoring one standard deviation higher in openness was associated with 2.4 more accommodation hosts and 48 more ride-share drivers per 100,000 residents over five years. This trend was particularly noted in cities like San Francisco, Portland, and Austin, while areas such as El Paso and Flint exhibited lower adoption rates.
The researchers suggest that openness may serve as an “invisible social infrastructure” that encourages innovation by fostering a willingness to experiment with new platforms. “Someone has to be willing to try a new behavior before everyone else regards it as normal,” said Martin Obschonka from the Amsterdam Business School.
While the study highlights the importance of psychological openness, the authors caution that their data are a snapshot and cannot definitively conclude whether openness drives technology adoption or is influenced by external factors. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore this relationship more deeply. The findings are detailed in the journal Research Policy.
