The Impact of Online Reviews on Consumer Purchasing Behaviour : how negative reviews shape attitudes and purchase intentions online

Abstract

This thesis investigates how negative online reviews influence consumer product attitudes and purchase intentions, and how this influence changes depending on review quality, review volume, star rating consensus, and psychological distance in high versus low involvement decisions. This study uses secondary research in the form of documentary analysis and an integrative literature review. Peer reviewed journal articles, books, and selected industry and regulatory sources are synthesised through qualitative content analysis to identify consistent patterns and key disagreements across studies. The findings show a clear baseline effect: negative reviews generally lower product attitudes and reduce purchase intention, often more strongly than positive reviews increase them. However, this effect is moderated by the review environment and decision context. High quality and specific negative reviews tend to have a stronger impact, whereas unclear or poorly supported negative reviews are less likely to influence consumers. Review volume and visible rating cues function as social proof, especially in low involvement decisions. Strong negative consensus amplifies risk perceptions, whereas psychological proximity and prior effort can buffer the effect through commitment and sunk cost style reasoning. Trust is critical. When people think reviews are fake, they pay less attention to whether the review is positive or negative and focus more on signs that the review is reliable and on how the platform protects users. The results offer practical implications for businesses and platforms regarding review monitoring, response strategies, and trust building mechanisms.