Abstract
User reviews are integral in informing individuals’ opinion-formation and decision-making. Utilizing the social identity theory and MAIN model, this study assesses how social influences and technological affordances affect individuals’ perceptions of other users and reviews on the Google Maps mobile application. In total, 301 participants partook in a 2 (Opinion climate: Congruent vs. incongruent) × 2 Retaliatory references: Present vs. absent) between-subjects factorial experiment. The findings indicate that opinion congruence predicts participants’ perceptions of other users’ trustworthiness and expertise. Opinion congruence also influences participants’ perceived review usefulness and trustworthiness. Retaliatory references (i.e., users’ ability to rate or respond to others’ reviews) affects participants’ perceived expertise of other users. Additionally, retaliatory references marginally interact with opinion congruence to influence participants’ perceived review usefulness. Altogether, opinion congruence is a stronger predictor than retaliatory references for biases on user review systems. Theoretical and managerial implications, and directions for future research are discussed.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published - 27 May 2021 |
| Event | 71st Annual International Communication Association Conference, ICA 2021 - Virtual Duration: 27 May 2021 → 31 May 2021 https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.icahdq.org/resource/resmgr/conference/2021/2021-printprogram.pdf (Conference program) |
Conference
| Conference | 71st Annual International Communication Association Conference, ICA 2021 |
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| Period | 27/05/21 → 31/05/21 |
| Other | Engaging the Essential Work of Care: Communication, Connectedness, and Social Justice |
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