Word-of-mouth

What is it about?

Word-of-mouth recommendations are typically considered trustworthy because they don’t come from a source with a profit motive, such as advertisers or salespeople. However, this research suggests there may be a different cause for concern when it comes to using this source of product information. People who were satisfied with their high levels of expertise about products wrote significantly fewer reviews than those who believed they lack sufficient knowledge.

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Why is it important?

Our findings show that the growing use of and trust in word-of-mouth, such as through online reviews, should be tempered by the possibility that self-interest may be motivating the source. How can you tell if a friend or online reviewer is trying to compensate for their lack of product knowledge? In one of the studies, participants were asked to write a movie review. Those who believed their movie knowledge was insufficient talked more about themselves and spent more time sharing their opinion.