This paper aims to investigate the influence of humor, usefulness and their interaction in negative online reviews on consumers’ likelihood to revisit third-party review-hosting websites. In addition, the paper investigates the underlying mechanism by which humor affects review readers.
The paper uses multiple participant experiments to examine the interaction between humor and usefulness. It analyzes the role of hedonic value and narrative transportation mediators. This theoretical approach is grounded in narrative transportation theory. ANOVA is the methodology used for analysis.
In negative reviews, usefulness negatively impacts consumers’ likelihood to return to the review-hosting website, while humor positively influences return intentions through hedonic value and narrative transportation. Both elements independently affect consumer behavior, but their combination does not significantly enhance this effect. Supplemental data from Yelp provides evidence that review readers differentiate between useful and humorous parts of reviews. Additional studies rule out mood enhancement and depletion of cognitive resources as alternative mediators.
The study’s focus on negative reviews and its online experimental design may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Review-hosting websites should focus on the entertainment value of reviews, rather than solely on their informative content. This approach enhances user engagement and retention.
This paper contributes to the understanding of online consumer behavior by highlighting the significant yet nuanced impact of humor in online reviews, challenging the traditional emphasis on their utilitarian aspects and offering new insights for managing review-hosting platforms.
