Files
NÉZER_81741900_2024.pdf
Closed access - Adobe PDF
- 1.81 MB
Details
- Supervisors
- Faculty
- Degree label
- Abstract
- In the digital age, online reviews have become a pivotal component of consumer decision-making processes. However, the credibility of these reviews often comes into question due to the prevalence of manipulated feedback. This thesis explores the distinguishing characteristics that make online reviews appear manipulated or genuine. Through a comprehensive literature review and empirical analysis, ten key characteristics were identified, including the specificity of details, reviewer's profile and history, language and tone, timing of reviews, similarity across reviews, emotional balance, company response, external verification, photographic evidence, and consistency with other reviews. A survey was conducted among 1010 Belgian online shoppers to gather quantitative data on these characteristics, employing a Likert scale format. The data was analyzed using various statistical methods, including Chi-square Goodness-of-Fit tests, reliability analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Friedman Test, Spearman's Rank-Order Correlation Test, Mann-Whitney Test, and Kruskal-Wallis Test. The findings revealed that characteristics such as the timing of reviews, language and tone, and similarity across reviews are perceived as the strongest indicators of review manipulation. In contrast, company response was perceived as the weakest indicator. The results also indicated high internal consistency among the survey items, suggesting that these characteristics are closely related in the perception of review manipulation. Additionally, no significant differences were found in perceptions based on gender or age groups. This thesis contributes to the understanding of how consumers discern the authenticity of online reviews, providing insights that can help platforms enhance the credibility of their review systems and foster a trustworthy online marketplace.