Abstract
This research examines the impact of irrelevant information and its valence (positive or negative) on consumers' evaluations, choices, and post-choice satisfaction, within the context of online reviews. We demonstrate that seemingly irrelevant online reviews can enhance positive impressions, but only if they are labeled with a negative valence (e.g., with a one-star rather than a five-star rating). A series of studies provides support for this positive effect of negatively valenced irrelevant information; namely, the inclusion of a negatively valenced irrelevant review alongside positive reviews leads to greater product preferences, as consumers feel confident that the information they have about the product is more complete. We also demonstrate the moderating role of review source.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 147-159 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Journal of Consumer Psychology |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Apr 2017 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2016 Society for Consumer Psychology
Funding
This paper is based on the first author's PhD dissertation, conducted under the supervision of the second and third authors. The second and third author are listed alphabetically. This research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (grant no. 1197/15).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Israel Science Foundation | 1197/15 |
Keywords
- Confidence
- Irrelevant information
- Online reviews
- Word of mouth