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Customer reviews are not always informative: The impact of effortful versus heuristic processing

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  • Book, Laura A.
  • Tanford, Sarah
  • Chang, Wen

Abstract

Online customer reviews and ratings are powerful sources of information that influence travel purchase decisions. The complexity of the online environment lends itself to heuristic processing, which aids in decision-making yet may bias perceptions. However, enlisting systematic processing reduces dependence on heuristics. Research suggests that base rate information is often neglected in favor of information that is more salient but less diagnostic. In the online review environment, base rate information takes the form of recommendation percentages, and review content varies in usefulness. This research examines the effect of base rate information, review content, and processing effort in a 2 × 2 × 2 experimental design. The results indicate that ambiguous base rate information and high processing effort cause consumers to pay greater attention to review content. In turn, this influences consumers’ perceptions, decisions, and recall. The findings deepen our understanding of dual processing systems and how they influence consumer choice.

Suggested Citation

  • Book, Laura A. & Tanford, Sarah & Chang, Wen, 2018. "Customer reviews are not always informative: The impact of effortful versus heuristic processing," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 272-280.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:41:y:2018:i:c:p:272-280
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.01.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Sara Javed & Md Salamun Rashidin & Wang Jian, 2024. "Effects of heuristic and systematic cues on perceived content credibility of Sina Weibo influencers: the moderating role of involvement," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Fan, Liu & Wang, Yawei & Mou, Jian, 2024. "Enjoy to read and enjoy to shop: An investigation on the impact of product information presentation on purchase intention in digital content marketing," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    5. Liu, Fu & Wei, Haiying & Wang, Xingyuan & Zhu, Zhenzhong & Chen, Haipeng Allan, 2023. "The influence of online review dispersion on consumers’ purchase intention: The moderating role of dialectical thinking," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    6. Raoofpanah, Iman & Zamudio, César & Groening, Christopher, 2023. "Review reader segmentation based on the heterogeneous impacts of review and reviewer attributes on review helpfulness: A study involving ZIP code data," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    7. Ismagilova, Elvira & Slade, Emma & Rana, Nripendra P. & Dwivedi, Yogesh K., 2020. "The effect of characteristics of source credibility on consumer behaviour: A meta-analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).

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