The Effect of Rating System Design on Opinion Sharing

Ying Liu, Yili Hong, Pei Yu Chen, Yong Ge

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Despite an intensive attention on extracting product features from textual reviews, there is limited understanding of the interplay between numerical ratings and textual reviews, and how rating system design moderates the interplay. In this study, we use data from two leading restaurant review websites with different rating systems to analyze the impact of rating system design on opinion sharing. We find that multidimensional (MD) ratings do not substitute textual reviews. Consumers tend to share longer opinions in textual reviews in a more objective way using the MD system. Results from randomized experiments corroborate that MD ratings do not substitute text reviews. Consumers’ decisions to read reviews are not affected by the rating system. MD system primes consumers to generate a more comprehensive numerical overall rating of all dimensions as well as more comprehensive textual reviews. In addition, consumers are also found to use more neutral words in their textual reviews.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationICIS 2017
Subtitle of host publicationTransforming Society with Digital Innovation
PublisherAssociation for Information Systems
ISBN (Print)9780996683159
StatePublished - 2018
Event38th International Conference on Information Systems: Transforming Society with Digital Innovation, ICIS 2017 - Seoul, Korea, Republic of
Duration: Dec 10 2017Dec 13 2017

Publication series

NameICIS 2017: Transforming Society with Digital Innovation

Other

Other38th International Conference on Information Systems: Transforming Society with Digital Innovation, ICIS 2017
Country/TerritoryKorea, Republic of
CitySeoul
Period12/10/1712/13/17

Keywords

  • DID
  • Opinion Sharing
  • Rating System Design

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Science Applications
  • Information Systems

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