Verification of Differences in Review Evaluation and Information Behavioral Intentions Based on the Negative Reviewer's Rating Tendencies

The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of the gap in online review ratings(defined as the difference between a reviewer’s past average rating and the general public’s average rating) on consumers' perceptions of review helpfulness and credibility, as well as their intentions for further information search and booking. To achieve this objective, data were collected through a scenario-based experimental design, and a total of 126 samples were used for the final analysis. As a result of the analysis, First, after the exposure to information regarding the review rating gap, credibility significantly increased in Groups 1 and 3. In terms of booking intention, a significant decrease was observed in Groups 1 and 2. Second, a significant difference was found in the degree of change in booking intention between Groups 1 and 3, as well as between Groups 2 and 3. Third, significant differences were observed in the perceived usefulness and credibility of individual reviewers’ ratings of hotels, depending on the level of the review rating gap. Based on findings, theoretical and practical implications were discussed.