Aristotle’s modes of persuasion and valence effects on online review trustworthiness and usefulness

Online reviews are an integral destination in the contemporary consumer decision journey as consumers systematically employ them in their decision making processes. Despite burgeoning online review literature, questions remain regarding how specific content types affect consumer judgments and decisions. This research uses Aristotle’s Modes of Persuasions (ethos, pathos, logos) as a theoretical foundation and examines trustworthiness and usefulness perceptions of these rhetorical appeals in conjunction with online review valence (positive vs. negative). Two studies employ a full-factorial between-subjects design to evaluate the 14 distinct review stimuli on trustworthiness and usefulness perceptions. Though some deviations occurred, results generally indicate that reviews featuring logos (including reviews with other modes types) lead to greater perceptions of trustworthiness and usefulness, particularly for negative reviews. Findings implications and future research directions are subsequently discussed.