Helpfulness and economic impact of multidimensional rating systems: Perspective of functional and hedonic characteristics

Nowadays, the multidimensional rating systems are increasingly popular in practice to help consumers evaluate multiattribute products or services. This study aims to examine the helpfulness and economic impact of multidimensional rating systems and the moderating effect of product type (ordinary, premium) from the perspective of product line. To identify the different effects of different product characteristics on consumers' behavior, multidimensional ratings and textual reviews are classified into two different sets according to the product attributes (functional, hedonic). Besides, the effects of review valence are considered simultaneously. Econometric analysis and text mining are conducted on the real data from autohome.com , a leading Chinese automobile rating platform. Results show that (a) in terms of perceived helpfulness, reviews with positive functional ratings or with negative hedonic ratings are perceived more helpful for ordinary product, whereas reviews with positive hedonic ratings are perceived more helpful for premium product. (b) Regarding product sales, the impacts of functional and hedonic ratings on product sales are inverted U‐shape. Furthermore, for ordinary product, variance of functional ratings has a negative effect on product sales, whereas hedonic ratings variance has an opposite impact. Surprisingly, ordinary product consumers tend to pay more attention to the negative hedonic reviews, whereas premium product consumers concentrate more on the negative functional reviews. In summary, various influences of multidimensional reviews and ratings across product type on review helpfulness and product sales are deeply explored in this study, suggesting that firms' online marketing strategies should be contingent on product type and characteristics.     

How Regulatory Orientation and Feelings of Gratitude Shape Online Review Helpfulness

Online review helpfulness ratings are an important indicator of the impact of online reviews. Often times, helpfulness is explained in terms of observable qualities of online reviews that predict helpfulness ratings. This research proposes that focusing on the psychological processes that underlie helpfulness voting informs a better understanding of what shapes review helpfulness ratings. Specifically, because goal orientation influences information processing, consumers’ regulatory orientation interacts with review valence to determine review helpfulness. When review valence and regulatory orientation match, consumers are more likely to express helpfulness through voting. The findings show that this effect occurs at least in part because matching review valence and regulatory orientation instills feelings of gratitude towards the reviewer. As a consequence, consumers are more likely to reward the reviewer with a helpfulness vote to express their feeling of gratitude through actions. However, when reviewers actively state expectations of reciprocal behavior by readers, gratitude is reduced and so is the likelihood that a review receives a helpfulness vote. Evidence from five studies using review data and online experiments show support for these effects.     

Less is more: Online consumer ratings' format affects purchase intentions and processing

Online customer ratings of products and services are commonplace in e‐commerce; however, the format in which these ratings are presented to consumers can vary. Although not anticipated by classical models of decision making, latter models such as prospect theory and feelings‐as‐information theory suggest that the presentation format of online customer ratings could affect subsequent consumer decision making. In the present research, 3 empirical studies test whether online customer ratings' formats differentially affect consumer purchase intentions. The results offer support for feeling‐as‐information theory and suggest that online ratings presented in a mean (vs. distribution) format result in higher purchase intentions as a result of increased processing fluency. Implications for the presentation of online consumer ratings in e‐commerce, based on these findings, are addressed.     

The Selection of Freebies and the Preference for Freebie Promotions—A Perspective on Item Characteristics

Research on consumer decision making has mainly focused on individual products; however, many products are purchased with other items as part of a promotional package. This paper explores how the characteristics (hedonic versus utilitarian) of the items in freebie promotional packages (e.g., buy one item and get a different item for free) influence consumers' preference for the promotional package. Additionally, the authors examine how the characteristics of the focal item influence consumers' choice of either a hedonic or a utilitarian freebie item. Five experiments, rooted in the concepts of consumer avoidance of overloading negative emotions and motivation to seek hedonic pleasure, show that a package with one utilitarian and one hedonic item generates higher purchase intentions and willingness to pay than a package with either two hedonic or two utilitarian items. Furthermore, consumers who purchase a hedonic (utilitarian) focal item are more likely to choose a utilitarian (hedonic) freebie. These effects exist not only in hypothetical scenarios but also in an incentive‐compatible design. Moreover, the impact of the focal item characteristics on consumer choice of freebie is moderated by acquisition format and time separation. The authors also explore the internal mechanism influencing consumers' freebie choices. The findings have significant implications for both theory and practice. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

E-commerce Review System to Detect False Reviews

E-commerce sites have been doing profitable business since their induction in high-speed and secured networks. Moreover, they continue to influence consumers through various methods. One of the most effective methods is the e-commerce review rating system, in which consumers provide review ratings for the products used. However, almost all e-commerce review rating systems are unable to provide cumulative review ratings. Furthermore, review ratings are influenced by positive and negative malicious feedback ratings, collectively called false reviews. In this paper, we proposed an e-commerce review system framework developed using the cumulative sum method to detect and remove malicious review ratings.     

The power of sophistication: How service design cues help in service failures

By analyzing three experimental studies, this research tests how and when sophisticated service environment designs (compared to modest service designs) can minimize consumers' negative emotions and increase repurchase intentions after a failure. Drawing on part‐list cueing literature, this research proposes that when a service failure occurs in a sophisticated (vs. modest) environment, consumers will rely on the sophisticated style of design as cues for service quality. We argue that sophisticated (vs. modest) service designs work as strong cues for quality that restrict the retrieval of negative information by consumers and can minimize the negative impacts of service failure, reducing consumers' negative emotions and increasing repurchase intentions. We further advance our theorizing by showing how choice failure consequences (i.e., the risk or consequence related to the service choice) moderate the effects via associative pathways of retrieval. The findings contribute to theory and practice by revealing how service designs can serve as cues to mitigate adverse consequences of service failure.     

Three method factors explaining the low correlations between assessment center dimension ratings and scores on personality inventories

In general, correlations between assessment centre (AC) ratings and personality inventories are low. In this paper, we examine three method factors that may be responsible for these low correlations: differences in (i) rating source (other versus self), (ii) rating domain (general versus specific), and (iii) rating format (multi‐ versus single item). This study tests whether these three factors diminish correlations between AC exercise ratings and external indicators of similar dimensions. Ratings of personality and performance were combined in an analytical framework following a 2 × 2 × 2 (source, domain, format) completely crossed, within subjects design. Results showed partial support for the influence of each of the three method factors. Implications for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Choice confidence in the webrooming purchase process: The impact of online positive reviews and the motivation to touch

The webrooming purchase process (i.e. searching for information online and then buying the product offline) is the most extended cross‐channel shopping behaviour. With the aim of offering a better understanding of this behaviour, this research relies on information processing and uncertainty reduction theories to propose that consumers use the online information to make the offline purchase with a higher degree of confidence. We examine the effects of a previous online interaction with a product on the preferences and decision at the physical store, as well as on the outcomes of the experience. In this path to purchase, we analyse how positive online customer reviews, as a specific form of electronic word of mouth, help the consumer to improve their experience, given their great potential to reduce the consumer's uncertainty in a purchase situation. In addition, the role of the motivation to touch the product is examined. The results of two studies show that the combination of an online search and an offline purchase improves the consumers' purchase experience in pre‐choice variables (i.e. purchase intentions), choice and post‐choice variables (i.e. search‐process satisfaction and choice confidence). Moreover, reading a positive online customer review influences choice confidence, and all the variables considered in the research when it is received at the physical store. Finally, the results stress the importance of the motivation to touch when studying multichannel shopping behaviour, given its direct and moderating effects on the webrooming purchase process. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Can including pros and cons increase the helpfulness and persuasiveness of online reviews? The interactive effects of ratings and arguments

One guideline given to online reviewers is to acknowledge a product's pros and cons. Yet, I argue that presenting two sides is not always more helpful and can even be less persuasive than presenting one side. Specifically, the effects of two- versus one-sided arguments depend on the perceived consistency between a reviewer's arguments and rating. Across a content analysis and three experiments that vary the information provided in the online review and whether the ratings are positive or negative, the results support these predictions. Furthermore, beliefs that the reviewer is able (vs. willing) to tell the truth mediated the effects.     

调节定向视角下在线评论感知有用性的眼动研究

本研究采用2评论类型(属性型VS体验型)×2调节定向(促进VS预防)的眼动实验,深入探讨消费者对在线评论的加工过程和感知有用性的认知机理。研究发现：(1)与属性型评论相比,个体对体验型评论的认知过程更短,感知有用性却更高。(2)相对于预防定向个体而言,促进定向个体对在线评论的认知加工过程更短,感知有用性更高。(3)评论类型和调节定向的交互效用,在属性型评论情境中显著,但在体验型评论情境中不显著。研究结果揭示了评论类型和调节定向影响消费者对在线评论认知评估的作用机理。     

Source memory that encoding was self-referential: the influence of stimulus characteristics

Decades of research suggest that encoding information with respect to the self improves memory (self-reference effect, SRE) for items (item SRE). The current study focused on how processing information in reference to the self affects source memory for whether an item was self-referentially processed (a source SRE). Participants self-referentially or non-self-referentially encoded words (Experiment 1) or pictures (Experiment 2) that varied in valence (positive, negative, neutral). Relative to non-self-referential processing, self-referential processing enhanced item recognition for all stimulus types (an item SRE), but it only enhanced source memory for positive words (a source SRE). In fact, source memory for negative and neutral pictures was worse for items processed self-referentially than non-self-referentially. Together, the results suggest that item SRE and source SRE (e.g., remembering an item was encoded self-referentially) are not necessarily the same across stimulus types (e.g., words, pictures; positive, negative). While an item SRE may depend on the overall likelihood the item generates any association, the enhancing effects of self-referential processing on source memory for self-referential encoding may depend on how embedded a stimulus becomes in one’s self-schema, and that depends, in part, on the stimulus’ valence and format. Self-relevance ratings during encoding provide converging evidence for this interpretation.     

The role of executive processes in prospective memory tasks

Prospective remembering refers to remembering and acting on behavioural intentions. Three experiments tested the hypothesis that prospective remembering requires the availability of executive processes. It was expected that this is more important when intentions are stated in categorical terms. Type of instruction (specific versus categorical), typicality of the cue in relation to the category specified, and executive load were manipulated. Results showed a general benefit of specific instructions. Furthermore, with categorical instructions, performance was better with typical cues. Although the data suggested that executive processes are responsible for the processing of cues, the load manipulation had no significant effect on the prospective memory measure. Thus, no evidence was found for the hypothesis that prospective remembering requires the availability of executive processes. It is argued that it is a matter of strategic choice whether executive processes are deployed: One does not need to monitor for cues but can choose to rely on bottom‐up processes. Monitoring may be sufficient, but not necessary for successful prospective remembering.     

Increasing Validity with Forced‐Choice Criterion Measurement Formats

The relative validities of forced‐choice (ipsative) and Likert rating‐scale item formats as criterion measures are examined. While there has been much debate about the relative technical and psychometric merits and demerits of ipsative instruments, the present research focused on the crucial question of whether the use of this format has any practical benefit – in terms of improved validity. An analysis is reported from a meta‐analysis data set. This demonstrates that higher operational validity coefficients (prediction of line‐manager ratings of competencies) are associated with the use of forced‐choice (r=.38) rather than rating scale (r=.25) item formats for the criterion measurement instrument when performance is rated by the same line managers on both formats and where the predictor is held constant. Thus the apparent criterion‐related validity of a predictor can increase by 50% simply by changing the format of the criterion measurement instrument. The implications of this for practice are discussed.     

Fat, full, and happy: effects of food deprivation, external cues, and obesity on preference ratings, comsumption, and buying intentions.

This study reassesses the relative influence of internal and external cues on the behavior of obese and normal individuals. Specifically, the effects of external cues and food deprivation on preference ratings, consumption, and buying intentions were tested for overweight and normal subjects. Obese subjects were more reactive than normals to external cues as indicated by their eating more and intending to buy more food after viewing food slides as opposed to scenery slides. However, their behavior also changed in response to food deprivation, becoming more negative. The obese showed lower food consumption, lower buying intentions, and lower ratings of both food and nonfood slides in the empty condition compared to the full condition.     

Example,please! Comparing the effects of single customer reviews and aggregate review scores on online shoppers' product evaluations

Many websites of online retail stores display two forms of electronic word of mouth on a single product site, namely single customer reviews and aggregate review scores. This study compares the effects of simultaneously presented single customer reviews and aggregate review scores on product evaluations of visitors of online retail stores. We hypothesize that well‐argued single customer reviews should be more influential than aggregate review scores that display the mean rating of all published reviews of a product. Drawing on a 2 × 2 factorial online experiment, we show that a single customer review is effective, even when potential buyers do not perceive it as representing overall customer satisfaction. Effects of the aggregate review score are weaker and completely mediated by a potential buyer's estimate of overall customer satisfaction. Trust in product reviews as a credible source of product‐related communication moderates some of these effects. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Not worth the extra cost? Diluting the differentiation ability of highly rated products by altering the meaning of rating scale levels

Over the last decade, the use of rating scales has grown in popularity in various fields, including customer online reviews and energy labels. Rating scales convey important information on attributes of products or services that consumers evaluate in their purchase decisions. By applying multidimensional scaling, this paper reveals that the meaning of the levels of a rating scale can be altered by manipulating the labeling of the rating scale levels. The study reveals that consumers perceive product attributes as being more similar if the labels share similar or identical linguistic or visual characteristics. In addition, two choice‐based conjoint studies examine whether the way consumers make their choices among products can be influenced by changing the labeling of rating scale levels. The results show that a manipulation of the meaning of rating scale levels diminishes both the importance of the rating scale information and consumers' willingness to pay a premium for a rating upgrade. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大学生恋爱决策中的内隐与外显线索偏好的研究

本研究旨在探索大学生恋爱决策中的内隐和外显线索的偏好差异。研究一在访谈和问卷调查的基础上,筛选出大学生在恋爱决策中关注的十四条线索,并让38名男性和52名女性大学生对这些线索进行重要性评分,从而比较不同性别的被试在线索重要性上的差异,结果显示不同性别的大学生在品行、个人修养、性格、职业、经济条件、家庭背景和学历这些线索上有显著差异;研究二分别选取了男性和女性大学生最为关注的前八条线索,并通过眼动仪探索被试进行恋爱决策时的内隐线索排序,与通过自陈问卷获得的外显线索排序进行比较,旨在探索被试的内隐与外显线索的重要性排序差异。研究二采用恋爱6个月以上关系稳定的眼动被试群体。结果显示,对于不同性别的被试,其内隐与外显条件下在某些线索重要性方面的排序上存在显著差异;女性被试的平均注视时间排序和对线索重要性排序在某些线索上也存在显著差异,而不同性别的被试对某些线索上的平均瞳孔大小排序上也和内隐线索重要性的排序上存在显著差异。     

Mood as a resource in dealing with health recommendations: How mood affects information processing and acceptance of quit-smoking messages

Objective: An experimental study tested the effects of positive and negative mood on the processing and acceptance of health recommendations about smoking in an online experiment. It was hypothesised that positive mood would provide smokers with the resources to systematically process self-relevant health recommendations.

Design: One hundred and twenty-seven participants (smokers and non-smokers) read a message in which a quit smoking programme was recommended. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: positive versus negative mood, and strong versus weak arguments for the recommended action.

Main outcome measures: Systematic message processing was inferred when participants were able to distinguish between high- and low-quality arguments, and by congruence between attitudes and behavioural intentions. Persuasion was measured by participant's attitudes towards smoking and the recommended action, and by their intentions to follow the action recommendation.

Results: As predicted, smokers systematically processed the health message only under positive mood conditions; non-smokers systematically processed the health message only under negative mood conditions. Moreover, smokers’ attitudes towards the health message predicted intentions to quit smoking only under positive mood conditions.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that positive mood may decrease defensive processing of self-relevant health information.     

Reciprocal Communication in Online Health Support Groups: Effects of Message Format and Social Support on Individual Responses to Health Issues

This study examines the extent to which message format and social support may affect individuals’ participatory responses in online health support groups and their subsequent affective and attitudinal responses. An experiment with a 2 (message format: narrative vs. nonnarrative) × 2 (social support: emotional support vs. informational support) between-subjects factorial design was conducted among 98 participants. Results indicated that narrative messages facilitated reciprocal communication. In turn, participants who provided such participatory responses reported less fear and sadness, more favorable health attitudes, and greater behavioral intentions.