Exploring Utilitarian Product Reviews: How Do Emotional, Social and Cognitive Dimensions Differ in Positive and Negative Reviews?

Abstract

Online reviews are a vital source of information for both consumers and businesses. For business, reviews are not simply positive or negative, but are sources of information that reveal how consumers think, feel, and respond to products/services. As such, it makes sense to look toward underlying linguistic and psychological patterns. Prior research indicates that positive and negative reviews may vary in terms of cognitive, social, and emotional. However, the impact of these factors depends on context. Factors such as product category, the platform on which the review was posted, and the cultural background of the reviewers can influence the impact of varying processes on reviews. As such, in the current study, we explore how positive and negative reviews of earphone reviews differ in terms of their emotional, social and cognitive processes. Given that earphones are a multifaceted product, they shed light on varying processes present in the reviews.