Starting Positive
The Impact of Self-Presentation Concerns on Consumer Reviews
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11624371 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elisa Solinas (0009-0004-1969-3027, IE University, corresponding author), Francesca Valsesia (0000-0003-1184-0171, University of Washington), Joseph C Nunes (0000-0001-9828-8003, Marshall B. Ketchum University), Andrea Ordanini (0000-0002-7915-1359, Bocconi University) |
| Editors | Andrew T Stephen, Oleg Urminsky (0000-0003-4390-386X), Brent Mcferran (0000-0001-7906-6157) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 305-322 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Consumer Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0093-5301 • E-ISSN: 1537-5277 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1093/jcr/ucaf065 |
| OpenAlex | W4416932964 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
This research investigates how reviewers’ self-presentation strategies influence their posting behavior. We find reviewers are less likely to post negative reviews early in their review history due to concerns that doing so would make them appear as lacking warmth. This concern diminishes as the number of reviews associated with their profile increases, resulting in a discernable negative trend in ratings at the reviewer level. We document this trend across two well-known review platforms (Yelp and TripAdvisor). A series of controlled laboratory studies replicate the effect while demonstrating the role played by self-presentation concerns in explaining the downward trend of ratings. Specifically, we find that concerns about appearing to lack warmth influence reviewers’ initial reluctance to post negative (but not positive) reviews, whereas concerns about appearing competent do not. We identify two theoretically consistent managerial interventions that moderate the effect. Allowing reviewers to rate experiences without associating a review with their profile reduces the effect of the number of prior reviews on their likelihood to post, as does prompting them to mention one positive element in their written comments. Our findings underscore the common concern that online review platforms provide positively skewed ratings and offer insight into how to address this
Consumer behaviour · Element (criminal law · Psychological intervention · Replicate · Digital Marketing and Social Media · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Sentiment Analysis and Opinion Mining
Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Relationship Marketing
Egocentrism in Adolescence
Self-Presentation Styles
Word of mouth and interpersonal communication
Strategic self-presentation online
Self-Selection and Information Role of Online Product Reviews
Negativity Bias, Negativity Dominance, and Contagion
Why Warmth Matters More Than Competence
Warmth and Competence as Universal Dimensions of Social Perception
Stereotype Content
A Self-Presentational Approach to Transmission of Good and Bad News
On the Reluctance to Communicate Undesirable Messages (The MUM Effect)
On Reluctance to Communicate Undesirable Information
Fundamental dimensions of social judgment
Getting along and getting ahead
Mass-scale emotionality reveals human behaviour and marketplace success
A self-presentational view of social phenomena
Adding Asymmetrically Dominated Alternatives
Social Anxiety and Communication about the Self
Social Acceptance and Word of Mouth
Posting versus Lurking
An Attribution Explanation of the Disproportionate Influence of Unfavorable Information
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |