PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Rating scales are an integral part of consumer choice processes for various product categories. This paper investigates whether a change in the perceived similarity of the labeling of rating scale levels alters the way consumers make their choices among products. More specifically, this article examines whether the meaning of rating scales in consumer choices can be manipulated by using similar or identical linguistic or visual characteristics for labeling the scale levels. The authors show that the importance of rating scale information in choice processes decreases if the top scale levels are labeled with similar or identical characteristics. This result is confirmed for different products and different numbers of attributes considered. The findings are important in light of an increasing use of rating systems in online consumer reviews, online stores and energy labels.