Evaluating the Wisdom of Strangers: The Perceived Credibility of Online Consumer Reviews on Yelp |
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Authors: | Young‐shin Lim Brandon Van Der Heide |
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Affiliation: | 1. School of Communication, The Ohio State University, Columbus;2. Communication Arts and Sciences Building, Michigan State University, 404 Wilson Road, East Lansing |
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Abstract: | This study examined the effects of review valence, the reviewer profile, and the receiver's familiarity with the platform (user/nonuser) on the perceived credibility of a review on Yelp.com and on the receiver's attitude toward the reviewed object. The results demonstrated a difference in cue‐taking between users and nonusers. For users, there was an interaction effect of 2 profile cues (number of friends and number of reviews) on competence. Users interpreted the cues in combination, whereas non‐users were not influenced by them. The friends × reviews × platform familiarity interaction indirectly affected attitude through competence. Further, review valence was positively associated with perceived credibility and attitude. The findings support and extend the social information processing theory and cue combination literature. |
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Keywords: | Social Media Electronic Word‐of‐Mouth Online Review Online Credibility Consumer Behavior |
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