Rethinking negativity bias in online word-of-mouth: When negative reviews don’t always help

IF 9.9 1区管理学 Q1 HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM

International Journal of Hospitality Management Pub Date : 2025-05-08 DOI:10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104250

Hebo Lu , Xixian Zheng , Yanli Jia

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study advances our understanding of negativity bias in online reviews by examining how varying intensities of negative emotions (i.e., emotional negativity) influence review helpfulness. While prior research has focused on comparing positive versus negative reviews, we explore variations within negative reviews. Our findings reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between emotional negativity and review helpfulness, suggesting that the effectiveness of negativity depends not on its presence, but on its intensity of expression. Specifically, while moderate levels of emotional negativity enhance review helpfulness, excessive negativity can diminish it, indicating that the impact of emotional negativity is more nuanced than understood. These insights extend existing theories on emotional expression in reviews while providing actionable guidelines. For prospective reviewers, we advise expressing negative emotions at optimal levels to maximize the helpfulness of their reviews to others. For hospitality practitioners, we recommend fostering moderate emotional negativity through service staff training and early intervention strategies.

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重新思考网络口碑中的消极偏见：当负面评论并不总是有用的时候

本研究通过考察不同强度的负面情绪（即情绪消极）如何影响评论的帮助性，促进了我们对在线评论中消极偏见的理解。虽然之前的研究主要集中在比较正面和负面评论，但我们探索了负面评论的变化。我们的研究结果揭示了情绪消极性和复习帮助之间的倒u型关系，这表明消极性的有效性不取决于它的存在，而取决于它的表达强度。具体来说，虽然适度的消极情绪会增强对复习的帮助，但过度的消极情绪会削弱它，这表明消极情绪的影响比人们所理解的要微妙得多。这些见解扩展了评论中情绪表达的现有理论，同时提供了可操作的指导方针。对于未来的审稿人，我们建议在最佳水平上表达负面情绪，以最大限度地提高他们的审稿人对他人的帮助。对于酒店从业人员，我们建议通过服务人员培训和早期干预策略培养适度的消极情绪。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Hospitality Management HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM-

CiteScore

21.20

自引率

9.40%

发文量

218

审稿时长

85 days

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Hospitality Management serves as a platform for discussing significant trends and advancements in various disciplines related to the hospitality industry. The publication covers a wide range of topics, including human resources management, consumer behavior and marketing, business forecasting and applied economics, operational management, strategic management, financial management, planning and design, information technology and e-commerce, training and development, technological developments, and national and international legislation. In addition to covering these topics, the journal features research papers, state-of-the-art reviews, and analyses of business practices within the hospitality industry. It aims to provide readers with valuable insights and knowledge in order to advance research and improve practices in the field. The journal is also indexed and abstracted in various databases, including the Journal of Travel Research, PIRA, Academic Journal Guide, Documentation Touristique, Leisure, Recreation and Tourism Abstracts, Lodging and Restaurant Index, Scopus, CIRET, and the Social Sciences Citation Index. This ensures that the journal's content is widely accessible and discoverable by researchers and practitioners in the hospitality field.