How written product reviews influence consumer impressions of star ratings

When shopping online, most consumers are drawn to products with a high star rating. Not only are star ratings an easy way for past buyers to assess purchases, they also provide a visual marker that helps potential buyers quickly sort through various options. Quantitative star ratings have long been known to positively affect consumer demand for a product, but less is known about qualitative text (written) reviews. New research from Vanderbilt Business explores the relationships between quantitative star ratings and qualitative text reviews.