Title: A two-path model on the effects of positivity and empathy reflected by online reviews: a choice mechanism perspective

Authors: Xuehua Wang; Cheris W.C. Chow; Zhilin Yang

Addresses: Department of Marketing, School of International Business Administration, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, 777 Guoding Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200433, China. ' Department of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, Av. Padre Tomas Pereira, Taipa, Macau. ' Department of Marketing, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Abstract: This research uses the three choice mechanisms, i.e., cognitive, normative, and affective processes, to examine the impacts of two interrelated aspects regarding online reviews, i.e., positivity of online reviews and empathy reflected by online reviews, on online purchase intentions through two studies. Results reveal that positivity of online reviews is more strongly related to both cognitive and normative processing, whereas empathy reflected in response to searchers' problems is found to influence consumers' affective decision making, thus leading to the development of a two-path model regarding the psychological mechanisms about online reviews. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Keywords: cognitive processes; normative processes; affective processes; online product reviews; empathy; purchase intentions; positivity; virtual reviews; choice mechanisms; cognitive processing; normative processing; searcher problems; decision making; two-path models; psychological mechanisms; psychology; theoretical implications; managerial implications; online shopping; virtual shopping; e-shopping; electronic shopping; internet marketing; advertising; world wide web.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2012.047426

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2012 Vol.7 No.3, pp.260 - 277

Published online: 04 Sep 2014 *

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