Innovation and adaptation in a Turkish sample: a preliminary study.
The aim of this study was to examine the representations of adaptation and innovation among adults in Turkey. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a sample of 20 Turkish adults (10 men, 10 women) from various occupations. The participants' ages ranged from 21 to 58 years. Results of content analysis showed that the representation of innovation varied with the type of context. Innovation was not preferred within the family and interpersonal relationship contexts, whereas it was relatively more readily welcomed within the contexts of work, science, and technology. This finding may indicate that the concept of innovation that is assimilated in traditional Turkish culture has limits. Contents of the interviews were also analyzed with respect to M. J. Kirton's (1976) subscales of originality, efficiency, and rule-group conformity. The participants favored efficient innovators, whereas they thought that the risk of failure was high in cases of inefficient innovation. The reasons for and indications of the representations of innovativeness among Turkish people are discussed in relation to their social structure and cultural expectations.
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Department of Psychology, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003405:Creativity; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012925:Social Conformity; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D014421:Turkey