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27-04-2023

Need to evaluate as a predictor of creating and seeking online word of mouth

Authors: Mengran Xu, Rebecca Walker Reczek, Richard E. Petty

Published in: Marketing Letters | Issue 4/2023

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Abstract

Recent research has identified two aspects of the need to evaluate (NE) that are focused on interpersonal contexts: NE-expressing and NE-learning. Given that online word of mouth (WOM) is inherently interpersonal, we explore whether these two scales can predict consumers’ likelihood of creating and seeking online WOM. We find that high NE-expressing does not always lead to a greater likelihood of sharing WOM. Although it does so for familiar products, for novel products, a basic level of knowledge must precede consumers’ willingness to engage in WOM, such that consumers are most likely to write reviews when high on both scales. We also show that consumers with high NE-learning are more likely to seek recommendations in anonymous online forums. However, on identity-linked platforms, consumers higher in NE-expressing are more motivated to seek recommendations even when NE-learning is relatively low because identity-linkage makes even a request for information an opportunity for self-expression. These results have important implications for marketers who wish to understand the psychological drivers of online WOM.

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One notable exception is work by Cheema and Kaikati (2010), who explored the role of need for uniqueness; those who are high in this trait are less willing to generate positive WOM for publicly consumed products that they own.

We asked participants to recall a positive product to ensure they were familiar enough to have formed a favorable opinion. The positive effect of NE-expressing and mavenism remained significant (ps = .017 and < .01, respectively) in an analysis with all participants.

The NE-expressing finding was replicated in a study with undergraduates (see web appendix).

The order of presentation of the two scales did not moderate the key effect (p = .49).

This finding was replicated in a direct replication using a different sample of MTurk workers reported in the web appendix.

This interaction remained significant when controlling for participants’ attitudes toward the water bottle (p = .04; also replicated using a different sample reported in the web appendix).

In the novel condition in study 2, the impact of NE-learning on review writing was stronger (more positive slope) when NE-expressing was high, the same pattern as in study 3. However, in study 2, the positive impact of NE-learning on review writing when NE-expressing is high becomes flat when NE-expressing is low. Importantly, once the main effects of the two scales are removed (see Rosnow and Rosenthal 1989), these interactions are of the same form (Petty et al., 1996). They both show that NE-learning becomes more predictive of providing novel product reviews as NE-expressing increases. Or conversely, NE-expressing becomes more predictive of providing novel product reviews as NE-learning increases.

We randomized whether participants respond to the NE scales before or after the manipulation and dependent measures in study 4 and in a replication of study 2 (presented in the web appendix). The order of presentation did not moderate the key effect (p = .44 and .18, respectively).

To examine if those high in NE-expressing, not NE-learning, were driven by the motive to tell others they were going on a trip, we conducted additional analysis with a motive measure (see web appendix).

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Title: Need to evaluate as a predictor of creating and seeking online word of mouth
Authors: Mengran Xu
Rebecca Walker Reczek
Richard E. Petty
Publication date: 27-04-2023
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Marketing Letters / Issue 4/2023
Print ISSN: 0923-0645
Electronic ISSN: 1573-059X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-023-09676-5

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