AUTHOR=Wang Junbin , Fan Xiaojun , Shen Xiangdong , Gao Yurong 

TITLE=Understanding the Dark Side of Online Reviews on Consumers' Purchase Intentions in E-Commerce: Evidence From a Consumer Experiment in China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.741065

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2021.741065

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Online review, as an important way of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication, plays an important role in e-commerce. However, few studies have examined the dark side of online reviews and their effect on consumers' purchase intentions. Information inconsistency is one of the dark sides that plays a critical role in influencing consumers' purchase intentions through online reviews.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Using a 2<sup>*</sup>2 between-subject design that explores the main effects of the type of information inconsistency (vertical- vs. horizontal-attribute inconsistency) on purchase intention and the moderating effect of product type (search vs. experience product).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> This study examines whether and how the type of information inconsistency between online recommendations and reviews influences consumer purchase decision-making.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> The findings show that vertical-attribute inconsistency leads to a lower purchase intention for search products; moreover, both vertical- and horizontal-attribute inconsistencies have no significant effect on purchase intention for experience products.</p>