Consumers Helping Consumers; The Role of Psychological Need Fulfillment in an Online Reviewer Community

Today, customers producing product reviews for consumption by other consumers have become a ubiquitous feature associated with online commerce and are an influential example of consumer co-creation (Hennig-Thurau et al. 2004; Kozinets et al. 2010; Senecal and Nantel 2004; Weiss et al. 2008). Despite important research focusing on how customer reviews influence shopping outcomes, little research has examined how the act of reviewing benefits the well-being of consumer reviewers. We examine this under-researched area by focusing on how a change in a ranking system influences participant well-being in a product reviewing community. Content analysis of reviewers’ posts, following a critical incident involving a change in the reviewer ranking system, suggests fulfillment of psychological needs, dimensions of psychological well-being, may be critical aspects that underlie active reviewer participation. Rank utilized as a feedback mechanism to signal competency development elicited positive sentiments by reviewers, whereas ranking elements perceived as lacking in integrity or reducing one’s autonomy, elicited negative sentiments. Emergent findings lend empirical support for a conceptual market helping behavior model (Bendapudi et al. 1996) and for the integration of adaptation theory of well-being (Diener et al. 2006) with self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan 2002). While the impetus to write reviews may reflect a mix between altruistic and egoistic motives, platforms that enable the fulfillment of individual’s psychological needs at various levels may foster participation through the well-being experienced. Retailer reviewing platform design elements that foster social relatedness through direct interaction with other consumers and provide feedback in writing competency may support and sustain reviewer participation.