An examination of the role of review valence and review source in varying consumption contexts on purchase decision

Abstract

This study examines the influence of Valence and Source of Online Reviews on a customer's attitude and pur-chase decision in the context of public and private consumption using social influence theory and the concept ofnegativity bias. The study was conducted using a 2 × 3 × 3 online experiment to examine the influence ofreview valence (positive vs mixed vs negative), two sources (retailer vs third-party site) in two different con-sumption contexts (public vs private). The results highlight the role of review valence as well as consumptioncontext on a shopper's decision.