Simplicity in joy and detail in anger: Intertwining effect of cognitive and affective review disposition on review helpfulness

• Published in: Decision Support Systems 2024-05, Vol.180, p.114192, Article 114192
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yicheng, Zhao, Xinqi, Zhou, Ya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Affective process; Cognitive process; Emotions; Review helpfulness; Review length; Review readability
• ISSN: 0167-9236
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dss.2024.114192

Review length and readability, are cognitive dispositions of reviews supposed to reflect diagnostic content and lead to favorable evaluation of review helpfulness. However, underlying these two cognitive dispositions of reviews, are discrepancies that make it difficult for a helpful review to simultaneously satisfy both of them. To resolve the discrepancies, this present study, drawn on cognitive tuning theory, proposes and validates the intertwining effect of cognitive dispositions (length and readability) and affective dispositions (joy and anger expression) in judging review helpfulness. Based on analysis of heterogeneous hotel review data, our findings indicate joy expression in reviews, decreased the positive impact of review length on review helpfulness, while enhancing the positive impact of review readability on helpfulness. Anger expression in reviews, shows reverse effects, enhancing the positive impact of review length on helpfulness. Our findings contribute to an in-depth understanding of review characteristics and review helpfulness judgment. •Review length and readability, both cognitive dispositions, demonstrate competing relationships.•Joy and anger expressions in reviews distinctly impact how review length and readability affect its helpfulness.•Evaluating review helpfulness necessitates accounting for the interplay between affective and cognitive dispositions.