How handwriting reduces negative online ratings

Vito Tassiello, Giampaolo Viglia and Anna S. Mattila

Annals of Tourism Research, 2018, vol. 73, issue C, 171-179

Abstract: This research investigates whether handwriting during the tourism experience reduces subsequent negative and extreme online rating scores. We portray that handwriting, due to a more deeply rooted elaboration of information, activates emotional empathy. Study 1, a field experiment in the hospitality context, suggests that handwriting reduces the extremeness of subsequent online rating scores. Study 2 compares handwritten vs. typed comments and complements the initial findings by clarifying the mediating role of emotional empathy on this relationship. We discuss the boundary conditions for the effect and offer practical implications on how to nudge tourists to reduce negative online rating scores. Hotel operators should use their enhanced emotional bonding with tourists when competing with peer-to-peer operators.

Keywords: Handwriting; Negative online rating score; Emotional empathy; Field experiment; Tourists (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:anture:v:73:y:2018:i:c:p:171-179

DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2018.05.007

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