Risk Orientation, Innovative Proneness, Scientific Orientation and Motivation for Status Change Among Rural Women in Haryana

Abstract

Women’s orientation towards risk, innovation, scientific thinking, and motivation plays a crucial role in determining their adoption of farm and household technologies and their overall socio-economic empowerment. The present study examines the levels of risk orientation, innovative proneness, scientific orientation, and motivation for changing status among rural women in two districts of Haryana, namely Kurukshetra and Mahendragarh. Data were collected from 360 rural women using a structured interview schedule. Weighted Mean Scores (WMS) and frequency distributions were employed for analysis. The findings revealed that a majority of respondents exhibited high levels of risk orientation (42.78%), innovative proneness (40.56%), scientific orientation (36.95%), and motivation for changing status (55.00%). Positive perceptions towards new technologies, selective adoption of innovations, belief in scientific methods, and recognition of women’s contributions within households emerged as dominant factors. The study highlights the growing readiness of rural women to embrace technological change and underscores the need for gender-responsive extension strategies to further enhance women’s empowerment.