Seeing the Stars Clearly: Debiasing in Online Consumer Reviews Through a Third-Person Perspective
(A2025-130303)

AUTHORS

Caner Cesmeci, Istanbul Beykent University; Sebnem Burnaz, Istanbul Technical University

ABSTRACT

Consumers frequently rely on online consumer reviews, yet their evaluations often exhibit base-rate neglect—a cognitive bias in which aggregate product ratings are underutilized in favor of individual reviews. This research explores how social distance moderates this bias: consumers purchasing for themselves strongly favor individual reviews, while those buying for others rely more on aggregate ratings. Additionally, interventions such as prompting consumers to adopt a third-person perspective mitigate base-rate neglect by encouraging greater reliance on aggregate metrics. These findings are consistent across multiple studies, robust against alternative explanations, and highlight perceived risk as a central mechanism. The research offers practical strategies for digital platforms and marketers to enhance consumer decision-making and satisfaction.