Consumer inoculation and gender in combating negative product reviews

Abstract

Negative product reviews are a key factor leading online consumers to repudiate their previously positive product attitude, which is a form of “online attack” for e-commerce sellers. To combat negative reviews, we use inoculation theory to examine whether inoculated consumers display greater resistance against negative reviews than uninoculated consumers. A one-factor (inoculation vs. no inoculation) between-subject experiment was conducted. The research findings showed that inoculated consumers showed less attitude slippage, fewer intentions to abandon the purchase, and more trust in the online seller. Females are much less easily influenced to build resistance against the negative review. Our research has meaningful implications for marketing communication and inoculation research in e-commerce settings.