A study of cognitive effort involved in the framing effect of summary descriptions of online product reviews for search vs. experience products

Jia Jin (), Chenchen Lin (), Fenghua Wang (), Ting Xu () and Wuke Zhang ()
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Jia Jin: Shanghai International Studies University
Chenchen Lin: Ningbo University
Fenghua Wang: Shanghai International Studies University
Ting Xu: Ningbo University
Wuke Zhang: Ningbo University

Electronic Commerce Research, 2023, vol. 23, issue 2, No 6, 785-806

Abstract: Abstract Few studies have focused on summary descriptions of online product reviews regarding purchase decisions, and there is a gap between individual product reviews and summary descriptions of online product reviews. The current study applied eye-tracking to explore how the product type moderates the framing effect of summary descriptions of product reviews on e-consumers’ purchase decisions. The results showed that product type moderated the framing effect of summary reviews on e-consumers’ purchase intention. Specifically, for search products, compared with a negative frame, a positive frame increased e-consumers’ attention to function attributes and led to higher purchase intention. However, with experience products, e-consumers’ attention and purchase intention did not vary across framing messages. Referring to information asymmetry theory and signal theory, we posit that the cognitive effort involved in summary review information is high for search products and low for experience products since summary reviews are a more useful signal in reducing information asymmetry for search products than for experience products. The theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

Keywords: Product type; Online product reviews; Summary review; Framing effect; Eye-tracking; Cognitive effort (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s10660-021-09491-y

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