Why Aren't the Stars Aligned? An Analysis of Online Review Content and Star Ratings

Consumer-generated product evaluations posted on online retailer or third party web-sites have been shown to increase buyer trust and aid consumer decision making. These online reviews typically have two components: star ratings and review text. This can communicate a complex, conflicting message to consumers, as the text of a review carries more nuance than what can be communicated through a simple numerical score. Misalignment between the star...