Why is a picture ‘worth a thousand words’? Pictures as information in perceived helpfulness of online reviews

Abstract

The hybrid review format (verbal reviews accompanied by pictures) is increasingly prevalent in online consumer reviews. However, the mechanism behind the superiority effect of hybrid reviews is still unclear. Unlike previous studies based on information processing theory that emphasize the imagery-provoking ability of the verbal information, we contend that imagery in hybrid reviews is the information that adds more diagnostic value to online reviews and thus makes the reviews more helpful. Our experimental studies found that hybrid reviews were perceived as more helpful than word-only reviews, and this effect was explained by the perceived amount of information. Moreover, the superiority effect of hybrid reviews on perceived helpfulness was found to be contingent on the review extremity and viewing tasks. These results confirmed our hypothesis of picture as information, explaining the superiority effect of hybrid reviews and pinpointed the conditions under which such an effect would occur or disappear.

Abstract or concrete? The influence of image type on consumer attitudes

“…As the main source of visual stimuli for consumer products, a picture can quickly convey a unique advertising concept, clearly display the product features and effectively establish the brand image. And the information provided by pictures is often more expressive and specific (Wu et al., 2020). The visual appearance of product is critical determinant of consumer response and product success (Bloch, 1995).…”

“…Therefore, pictures are important for communicating information about products and companies (Scott, 1994). Previous studies have shown that the use of images (compared with not using them) attracts consumers’ attention more easily (Miller & Stoica, 2004), makes online reviews tend to be perceived more helpful (Wu et al., 2020), helps the consumers to obtain and understand product information more quickly (Pennings et al., 2014), increases consumers’ recall of brand names and product information (Kisielius & Sternthal, 1984; Shepard, 1967), promotes consumers’ positive attitudes towards products, brands, advertisements and so forth, and increases consumers’ willingness to buy (Kroeber‐Riel, 1984; Mitchell & Olson, 1981; Rossiter & Percy, 1978).…”

Does the length of a review matter in perceived helpfulness? The moderating role of product experience

“…In 2011, Lee et al conducted another experiment and found that OCRs with higher perceived credibility increase purchase intention (Lee et al, 2011). Moreover, Wu et al (2020) found that consumers rely more on OCRs with pictures, as they view pictures as an alternative explanation of reviews and tend to have a more favorable attitude toward these reviews.…”

Stranger danger? Cue‐based trust in online consumer product review videos

“…Online consumer product review research has focussed primarily on product rating scales or text‐based reviews and found that these reviews can significantly influence consumer perceptions, attitudes and behaviour (e.g., Amblee & Bui, 2011; Chevalier & Mayzlin, 2006; Filieri & McLeay, 2014; Jang et al., 2012; Kostyra et al, 2016; Wang et al., 2012). A recent study on online consumer product reviews has, furthermore, shown that text‐based reviews are perceived as more helpful when augmented with images (Wu et al, 2021). Research on online consumer product reviews in video format, on the other hand, has been limited (Diwanji & Cortese, 2020).…”

“…The effectiveness of online product reviews has been shown to be affected by reviewer and content attributes, specifically message modality (Wu et al, 2021), content and style (Schindler & Bickart, 2012), valence, volume, and variance (e.g., Kostyra et al, 2016; Wang et al., 2015), source of the review (Dou et al, 2012; Forman et al., 2008), source credibility (Jin & Phua, 2014), parasocial interactions with reviewers (Lee & Lee, 2021) and level of detail and overall reviewer agreement (Jiménez & Mendoza, 2013).…”