An Empirical Investigation of Self-Selection Bias and Factors Influencing Review Helpfulness


  •  Einar Bjering    
  •  Lars Jaakko Havro    
  •  Oystein Moen    

Abstract

This paper build on 1 489194 product reviews from 30 product categories retrieved from Amazon.com. Product categories are classified by use of natural language analysis tools with computing of subjectivity scores reflecting a search/experience product dimension. Results show a distinct effect of self-selection where the average review score gradually decreases. For most products, no undershooting period was observed, even though a limited number of products groups had this development pattern. Review length, verified purchase and use of real names contributed to increasing helpfulness ratings. The results further suggest search products to be more influenced by review length than experience products.



This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
  • ISSN(Print): 1833-3850
  • ISSN(Online): 1833-8119
  • Started: 2006
  • Frequency: bimonthly

Journal Metrics

IJBM's citation performance is tracked through publicly available scholarly metrics. According to Google Scholar Citations (latest available snapshot):

  • h-index: 176
  • i10-index: 1322

These metrics reflect citations indexed by Google Scholar and are provided for transparency. The journal is not currently indexed in Web of Science or Scopus.

Contact