The Impact of Online Reviews on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: Examining the Social Influence of Online Reviews, Group Similarity, and Self-Construal | Yunjeong Ahn, Jieun Lee | ResearchPod

Transcript: The Impact of Online Reviews on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: Examining the Social Influence of Online Reviews, Group Similarity, and Self-Construal

Alex: Welcome to another episode of ResearchPod. Today, we're exploring why online reviews influence some shoppers more than others — specifically, how our sense of self shapes which reviews we actually trust.

Sam: So this paper is basically asking: why do some people treat a five-star review like a cold, hard fact, while others treat it like a social signal from their tribe?

Alex: Exactly. The study suggests that the way we think about ourselves — whether we see ourselves as independent individuals or as part of a larger group — acts like a filter. It shapes whether we process a review as objective data or as a cue for social belonging.

Sam: That's a meaningful distinction. If I'm shopping for headphones, I might just want to know if they work. But someone else might care more about whether people like them are using the same ones.

Alex: Right. And researchers have a name for these two mindsets. They call them "independent" and "interdependent" self-construal — which sounds technical, but it's really just describing how you define yourself. Independent thinkers see themselves as unique individuals. For them, a review is a tool for getting accurate information. They want the facts.

Sam: And interdependent thinkers see themselves as part of a social fabric — so for them, the review is about fitting in?

Alex: Exactly. They're looking for what researchers call "belongingness." Think of it like this: if you're the kind of person who defines yourself by your relationships and your group, then you're not just asking "is this product good?" You're also asking "is this the kind of thing people like me use?" If they see a review from someone they perceive as similar to them, they're far more likely to trust it. The reviewer's identity matters as much as the rating itself.

Sam: So the same five-star review could land completely differently depending on who's reading it. An independent thinker values it regardless of who wrote it. An interdependent thinker might dismiss it entirely if the reviewer feels like an outsider.

Alex: That's the core finding. For independent thinkers, the only thing that matters is whether the review is useful — does it tell me something accurate about the product? For interdependent thinkers, it's a two-part test: the rating has to be high, and the reviewer has to feel like part of their group. If either piece is missing, the review loses its pull.

Sam: How did the researchers actually test this? You can't just ask people "are you independent or interdependent?"

Alex: Good question. They used a couple of clever techniques. First, to put people into one mindset or the other, they had participants read a short story and count the pronouns — words like "I" and "me" versus "we" and "us." Counting individual pronouns nudged people toward thinking of themselves as independent. Counting group pronouns nudged them toward interdependence. It's a well-established method for temporarily activating a particular way of seeing yourself.

The Impact of Online Reviews on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: Examining the Social Influence of Online Reviews, Group Similarity, and Self-Construal

Yunjeong Ahn, Jieun Lee

May 10, 2024·4:44·zotero·Original Paper

Self-ConstrualGroup SimilarityPerceived DiagnosticityPerceived BelongingnessPerceived SimilaritySocial Influence

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5 min

Briefing

Research Question

This study investigates how consumer personality—specifically self-construal—interacts with group similarity and online review ratings to influence purchase intentions. While previous research has yielded inconsistent results regarding the impact of reviewer similarity, this paper proposes that the effect depends on whether a consumer views themselves as an independent entity or as part of an interconnected social group.

Approach

The authors conducted a 2x2x2 factorial experiment with 276 participants recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. The study manipulated three variables: online review rating (high vs. low), group similarity (high vs. low), and self-construal (independent vs. interdependent). Using ANOVA and moderated mediation analysis, the researchers examined how these factors influence perceived diagnosticity (the perceived accuracy/usefulness of the review) and perceived belongingness (the sense of connection to the review group), and how these perceptions ultimately drive purchase intentions.

Key Findings

The results demonstrate that the mechanism of social influence differs significantly by self-construal:

Independent Consumers: These individuals prioritize informational influence. They view high review ratings as diagnostic, useful data that increases their confidence in a purchase, regardless of whether the reviewers are similar to them.
Interdependent Consumers: These individuals prioritize normative influence. They are highly sensitive to group similarity; they only align their purchase intentions with high review ratings when the reviewers are perceived as part of their in-group. When reviewers are perceived as dissimilar, the review ratings have no significant impact on their purchase intentions.

The study confirms that perceived diagnosticity and belongingness act as mediators, explaining why these different groups respond to online reviews in distinct ways.

Why It Matters

For marketers, these findings suggest that a one-size-fits-all approach to online reviews is ineffective. Brands targeting collectivist or interdependent audiences should emphasize community and similarity to the reviewer, while brands targeting independent audiences should focus on providing clear, high-quality, and diagnostic information that validates the consumer's decision-making process.

Key Terms and Definitions

Self-Construal — The extent to which an individual perceives themselves as an independent entity (independent) or as an interconnected part of a social group (interdependent).
Group Similarity — The degree to which a consumer perceives the reviewers as sharing relevant characteristics, such as age, gender, or personality.
Informational Influence — The tendency for consumers to use online reviews as diagnostic, accurate information to reduce uncertainty and ensure a correct purchase decision.
Normative Influence — The tendency for consumers to conform to the opinions of others to gain a sense of belonging or to meet social expectations.
Perceived Diagnosticity — The extent to which a consumer believes that the information provided in an online review is useful and accurate for making a purchase decision.

Abstract

Consumers often rely on evaluations such as online reviews shared by other consumers when making purchasing decisions. Online reviews have emerged as a crucial marketing tool that offers a distinct advantage over traditional methods by fostering trust among consumers. Previous studies have identified group similarity between consumers and reviewers as a key variable with a potential impact on consumer responses and purchase intention. However, the results remain inconclusive. In this study, we identify self-construal and group similarity as key factors in the influence of online review ratings on consumers’ purchase intentions. We further investigate the role of consumers’ self-construal in shaping consumers’ perceptions of online reviews in terms of belongingness and diagnosticity. To test the hypothesis, we conducted a 2 (online review rating) × 2 (group similarity) × 2 (self-construal) ANOVA on 276 subjects collected through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), and contrast analysis and PROCESS macro model 12 were used for the interaction effect analysis and moderated mediation analysis. Our findings reveal that consumers with an interdependent self-construal are sensitive to both review ratings and group similarity with regards to their purchase intentions. They demonstrate a positive purchase intention when both group similarity and online review ratings are high. However, their purchase intention is not influenced by review ratings when group similarity is low. Conversely, consumers with an independent self-construal exhibit a more positive purchase intention when the online review rating is high, irrespective of group similarity. Additionally, our study highlights the mediating roles of perceived diagnosticity and belongingness in the relationship between online review ratings, group similarity, self-construal, and purchase intentions. Results show significant indirect effects for perceived diagnosticity and belongingness, meaning that the impact of online review ratings on purchase intention is mediated by these two variables. The outcomes of our research offer theoretical and practical implications concerning online reviews and suggest new avenues for future research in the area of online consumer behavior.

The Impact of Online Reviews on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: Examining the Social Influence of Online Reviews, Group Similarity, and Self-Construal: Research Paper Podcast