@article{2017:reinhardt:effects_of,
title = {Effects of exemplars and base-rate information on online physician rating sites},
year = {2017},
note = {In recent years, the number of users on online physician rating sites
has increased continuously. According to exemplification theory, user
comments have a strong influence on individual judgments. Visualized
base-rate information can constrain these effects. This study examines
the impact of exemplars and base-rate information regarding physician
rating sites on the perception and evaluation of doctors, as well as
participants’ behavioral intentions. To address this question, we
conducted a 2 x 2 x 2 online experiment (N = 216). We developed eight
alternative versions of a physician rating site, varying the valence
of the exemplars (factor 1: positive/negative) and base-rate
information (factor 2: positive/negative) and the type of presentation
of the base-rate information (factor 3: bar graph/average grade). Our
results show that the valence of both significantly influenced
participants’ recall, evaluation and behavioral intentions.
Furthermore, the negative bar graph led to a more accurate evaluation
than the negative average grade. The strong impact of base-rate
information limits the scope of exemplification effects in the context
of physician online rating sites.},
journal = {SCM Studies in Communication and Media},
pages = {420--443},
author = {Reinhardt, Anne and Weber, Winja and Rossmann, Constanze},
volume = {6},
number = {4}
}