Star ratings have the edge in the battle for positive business reviews, with new research showing potential customers over-estimate their value.
The Cornell University study looked at the difference between star and numerical ratings, especially when half-marks were awarded.
Assistant Professor Deepak Sirwani said the researchers found that consumers tended to overestimate fractional star ratings and underestimate fractional Arabic numerals.
“When pictures communicate a fractional number – say 3.5, where there are three full stars and one-half star – our brain automatically completes this half picture,” Assistant Professor Sirwani said.
“But when the same rating is communicated using numbers, we focus on the left digit, which is ‘3,’ and that’s why 3.5 feels more like a 3 than a 4. That’s why we underestimate it.”
Study co-author Manoj Thomas said the work, primarily, was about the human brain and how it processed images and numerals.
“Our results suggest that the brain representations that are activated when you process stars are completely different from the brain representations that are activated when you process Arabic numerals,” Professor Thomas said.
“Most people don’t realize that, but it’s a huge difference.”
Read the full study: Overestimating Stars, Underestimating Numbers: The Hidden Impact of Rating Formats.
