The influence of information overload on the development of trust and purchase intention based on online product reviews in a mobile vs. web environment: an empirical investigation

Abstract

Information overload has been studied extensively by decision science researchers, particularly in the context of task-based optimization decisions. Media selection research has similarly investigated the extent to which task characteristics influence media choice and use. This paper outlines a study which compares the effectiveness of web-based online product review systems for facilitation of trust and purchase intention to those of mobile product review systems in an experiential service setting (hotel services). Findings indicate that the extensiveness of information in the review increases trust and purchase intention until that information load becomes excessive, at which point trust and purchase intention begin to decrease. The magnitude of this decline is smaller in web-environments than in mobile environments, suggesting that web-based systems are more effective in fostering focus and are less prone to navigation frustration, thus reducing information overload.