Fake Online Reviews: the Effect of Presentation Format on Consumers’ Memory
Fake online reviews: the effect of presentation format on consumers’ memory Paul Järvinen Department of Marketing Hanken School of Economics Helsinki 2020 i HANKEN SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS Department of: Marketing Type of work: Master’s Thesis Author: Paul Järvinen Date: 6.4.2020 Title of thesis: Fake online reviews: the effect of presentation format on consumers’ memory Abstract: Consumers are often exposed to misleading information that is contradictory to their consumption experiences. Furthermore, exposure to misleading information can alter consumers’ recollections of the experience. Misleading information can be seen in the form of fake online reviews, a phenomenon closely related to fake news and opinion fraud in general. Although consumers usually seek online reviews before a purchase decision, there are cases when consumers seek information after the experience, for instance, if they want to reassure themselves after a purchase decision or intend to purchase similar product or experience. While consumers trust online reviews, it is evident that a high proportion of online reviews are fake. Furthermore, online reviews are being increasingly posted in alternative formats, one being video. Thus, this study aims to find out if the presentation format of a fake online review makes the information more harmful to consumers’ memories. More specifically, if the format of the fake online review affects the formation of false memories. Furthermore, this study investigates possible factors that could explain the relationship between false memory and presentation format. It is also proposed that similar factors affecting the formation of false memories also make consumers more willing to share these fake online reviews. This study employs an experimental design to meet the objective.
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