Image-text inconsistency effect on product evaluation in online retailing

Kiljae Lee and Jungsil Choi

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2019, vol. 49, issue C, 279-288

Abstract: This study examined the cognitive influence of inconsistency between image and text of product description. We found that the inconsistency hampers processing fluency, which in turn, negatively influences product evaluation. The effect was asymmetric, stronger when the image was negatively, rather than positively, discrepant from the text. Since people use the text as an anchor in resolving such discrepancy, the effect is strengthened by the negative affect when the value represented by the image is inferior to what is described in the text. The study provides insights for the retailing managers of e-commerce operations as well as flyer-based promotions.

Keywords: Processing fluency; Incongruence; Inconsistency; Metacognition; Online retailing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:49:y:2019:i:c:p:279-288

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.03.015

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