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Gender rating gap in online reviews
Andreas Bayerl1, Yaniv Dover2,3, Hila Riemer4
1Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. bayerl@ese.eur.nl.
Nature Human Behaviour
|October 7, 2024
Summary
Online reviews show a gender rating gap, with women rating products more favorably than men. This difference stems from women
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Economics
- Social Psychology
- Consumer Behavior
Background:
- Online reviews significantly influence consumer decisions.
- Potential biases in online review platforms can impact purchasing choices.
- Previous research has not fully explored systematic gender differences in online ratings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the existence and nature of a gender rating gap in online reviews.
- To identify the underlying psychological mechanisms driving observed gender differences in review behavior.
- To understand the societal implications of gendered review patterns.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1.2 billion online review observations across five major platforms.
- Conducting two controlled laboratory studies with US English-speaking participants (n=1,172 and n=1,165).
- Comparing mean rating scores between male and female reviewers.
Main Results:
- A consistent and statistically significant gender rating gap was identified: women's average online ratings are more favorable than men's.
- No significant difference was found in 'real' attitudes between genders on average.
- Lab studies indicated that women exhibit a lower propensity to share negative attitudes online, potentially due to social concerns.
Conclusions:
- Gender significantly impacts online review ratings, independent of underlying attitudes.
- Women's greater concern for social consequences may lead to more favorable online reviews.
- Societal changes are needed to encourage comfortable and genuine expression of dissatisfaction by all individuals, especially women.
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