Amazonian Forests and Trees: Multiplicity and Objectivity in Studies of Online Consumer-Generated Ratings and Reviews, A Commentary on de Langhe, Fernbach, and Lichtenstein

Abstract

Abstract Consumer-generated ratings and reviews play an important role in people’s experiences of online search and shopping. This article applauds and extends the thought-provoking response of de Langhe, Fernbach, and Lichtenstein (2016, in this issue) to Simonson’s (2015) assertions about the topic and suggests an agenda for future research. Follow-up research into the topic should emphasize the diversity of consumers and the multiplicity of their needs. It should recognize that reviews and ratings are complex social conversations embedded in consumers’ multifaceted communicational repertoires. It should be cautious when using terms such as objective and rational when describing consumers and consumption. Being aware of the risks to external validity of studying average ratings may lead to frameworks with greater contextual integrity, and encourage collaborative communication between scholars from different perspectives working in this field.