A number of studies in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) literature made reference to relationships purchase intention and attitude in single valence (either positive or negative) messages. When studies included both positive and negative information, these relationships became unclear. This study utilized a 2x2x2 factorial design in exploring the relationship between message sidedness (one vs. two), message framing (positive vs. negative), and involvement (high vs. low) on perceived message credibility and eWOM adoption.
In total 237 survey questionnaires were collected. Through data analysis, it was found that negative reviews significantly influence credibility over positive reviews. Furthermore, the effects of framing outweigh the effects of sidedness when deciding the credibility of a message. In this same way, when the eWOM effects of sidedness and framing are combined, the relationship between credibility and adoption cannot be explained. Finally, individuals who read eWOM reviews adopt to those messages regardless of their perceived message credibility. For high involvement respondents, two-sided messages (both negative and positive) had a higher affect on adoption than one-sided eWOM messages. Low involvement individuals, reacted to the framing of the message and adopted to positive messages but rejected negative messages. The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) is used to explain this phenomenon.

Alba, J., Hutchinson, J., & Lynch Jr, J. (1991). Memory and decision making. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Andrews, J., Durvasula, S., & Akhter, S. (1990). A framework for conceptualizing and measuring the involvement construct in advertising research. Journal of Advertising, 19(4), 27-40.

Arndt, J. (1967). Word of mouth advertising and informal communication. Risk taking and Information Handling in Consumer Behavior, 188-239.

Belch, G. (1981). An examination of comparative and noncomparative television commercials: The effects of claim variation and repetition on cognitive response and message acceptance. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(3), 333-349.

Berlyne, D. (1971). Aesthetics and psychobiology. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Bickart, B., & Schindler, R. M. (2001). Internet forums as influential sources of consumer information. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 15(3), 31-40.

Bloemer, J., de Ruyter, K., & Wetzels, M. (1999). Linking perceived service quality and service loyalty: A multi-dimensional perspective. European Journal of Marketing, 33(11/12), 1082-1106.

Borrás, I., & Lafayette, R. C. (1994). Effects of multimedia courseware subtitling on the speaking performance of college students of french. The Modern Language Journal, 78(1), 61-75.

Chatterjee, P. (2001). Online reviews – do consumers use them? Paper presented at the ACR 2001, Provo, UT.

Chebat, J. C., & Picard, J. (1985). The effects of price and message-sidedness on confidence in product and advertisement with personal involvement as a mediator variable. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 2(2), 129-141.

Chebat, J. C., & Picard, J. (1988). Receivers' self-acceptance and the effectiveness of two-sided messages. The Journal of social psychology, 128(3), 353-362.

Cheung, C. M. K., Lee, M. K. O., & Rabjohn, N. (2008). The impact of electronic word-of-mouth: The adoption of online opinions in online customer communities. Internet Research, 18(3), 229-247.

Cheung, M., Luo, C., Sia, C., & Chen, H. (2009). Credibility of electronic word-of-mouth: Informational and normative determinants of on-line consumer recommendations. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 13(4), 9-38.

Crowley, A., & Hoyer, W. (1994). An integrative framework for understanding two-sided persuasion. The Journal of Consumer Research, 20(4), 561-574.

Dellarocas, C. (2003). The digitization of word of mouth: Promise and challenges of online feedback mechanisms. Management Science, 1407-1424.

Dichter, E. (1966). How word-of-mouth advertising works. Harvard Business Review, 44(6), 147-166.

Doh, S.-J., & Hwang, J.-S. (2009). How consumers evaluate ewom (electronic word-of-mouth) messages. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12(2), 193-197.

Duan, W., Gu, B., & Whinston, A. (2008). Do online reviews matter?—an empirical investigation of panel data. Decision Support Systems, 45(4), 1007-1016.

East, R., Hammond, K., & Lomax, W. (2008). Measuring the impact of positive and negative word of mouth on brand purchase probability. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 25(3), 215-224.

Eisend, M. (2006). Two-sided advertising: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 23(2), 187-198.

Fogg, B. (1999). Persuasive technologies. Communications of the ACM, 42(5), 27-29.

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. (1981). Structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error: Algebra and statistics. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(3), 382-388.

Godes, D., & Mayzlin, D. (2004). Using online conversations to study word-of-mouth communication. Marketing Science, 23(4), 545-560.

Golden, L., & Alpert, M. (1987). Comparative analysis of the relative effectiveness of one-and two-sided communication for contrasting products. Journal of Advertising, 16(1), 18-68.

Goldsmith, R. (2006). Electronic word-of-mouth. In M. Khosrow-Pour (Ed.), Encyclopedia of e-commerce, e-government and mobile commerce (pp. 408-412). Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing.

Grewal, D., Gotlieb, J., & Marmorstein, H. (1994). The moderating effects of message framing and source credibility on the price-perceived risk relationship. Journal of Consumer Research, 145-153.

Hastak, M., & Park, J. W. (1990). Mediators of message sidedness effects on cognitive structure for involved and uninvolved audiences. Advances in Consumer Research, 17(1), 329–336.

Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., Walsh, G., & Gremler, D. D. (2004). Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: What motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the internet? Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18(1), 38-52.

Homer, P., & Yoon, S. (1992). Message framing and the interrelationships among ad-based feelings, affect, and cognition. Journal of Advertising, 21(1), 19-33.

Houston, M., & Rothschild, M. (1978). Conceptual and methodological perspectives on involvement. Research Frontiers in Marketing: Dialogues and Directions, 184-187.

Jalilvand, M. R., Esfahani, S. S., & Samiei, N. (2011). Electronic word-of-mouth: Challenges and opportunities. Procedia Computer Science, 3(C), 42-46.

Kamins, M., & Assael, H. (1987). Two-sided versus one-sided appeals: A cognitive perspective on argumentation, source derogation, and the effect of disconfirming trial on belief change. Journal of Marketing Research, 29-39.

Kamins, M., Brand, M., Hoeke, S., & Moe, J. (1989). Two-sided versus one-sided celebrity endorsements: The impact on advertising effectiveness and credibility. Journal of Advertising, 18(2), 4-10.

Kamins, M., Folkes, V., & Perner, L. (1997). Consumer responses to rumors: Good news, bad news. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 6(2), 165-187.

Kanouse, D. (1984). Explaining negativity biases in evaluation and choice behavior: Theory and research. Advances in Consumer Research, 11(1), 703–708.

Kardes, F., & Herr, P. (1990). Order effects in consumer judgment, choice, and memory: The role of initial processing goals. Advances in Consumer Research, 17, 541-546.

Karppinen, P. (2005). Meaningful learning with digital and online videos: Theoretical perspectives. AACE Journal, 13(3), 233-250.

Kelley, H. (1967). Attribution theory in social psychology. Paper presented at the Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, Lincoln, NE.

Kiecker, P., & Cowles, D. (2002). Interpersonal communication and personal influence on the internet: A framework for examining online word-of-mouth. Journal of Euromarketing, 11(2), 71-88.

Lee, J., & Lee, J. (2009). Understanding the product information inference process in electronic word-of-mouth: An …. Information & Management.

Lee, J., Park, D.-H., & Han, I. (2008). The effect of negative online consumer reviews on product attitude: An information processing view. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 7(3), 341-352.

Lee, M., Cheung, C., Lim, K., & Sia, C. (2006). Understanding customer knowledge sharing in web-based discussion boards. Internet Research, 16(3), 289-303.

Maheswaran, D., & Meyers-Levy, J. (1990). The influence of message framing and issue involvement. Journal of Marketing Research, 27(3), 361-367.

Maheswaran, D., & Sternthal, B. (1990). The effects of knowledge, motivation, and type of message on ad processing and product judgments. Journal of Consumer Research, 66-73.

McKnight, H., & Kacmar, C. (2006). Factors of information credibility for an internet advice site. System Sciences, 2006. HICSS'06. Proceedings of the 39th Annual Hawaii International Conference on, 6, 113b-113b.

McQuarrie, E., & Munson, J. (1992). A revised product involvement inventory: Improved usability and validity. Advances in Consumer Research, 19(1), 108-115.

Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2009). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies.

Mittal, B. (1995). A comparative analysis of four scales of consumer involvement. Psychology and Marketing, 12, 663-663.

Nabi, R., & Hendriks, A. (2003). The persuasive effect of host and audience reaction shots in television talk shows. Journal of Communication, 53(3), 527-543.

Nonaka, I. (1994). A dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation. Organization science, 5(1), 14-37.

Nunnally, J. C. (1967). Psychometric theory. New York, NY: Tata McGraw-Hill Education.

Park, C., & Lee, T. M. (2009). Information direction, website reputation and ewom effect: A moderating role of product type. Journal of Business Research, 62(1), 61-67.

Park, D.-H., & Kim, S. (2008). The effects of consumer knowledge on message processing of electronic word-of-mouth via online consumer reviews. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications.

Park, D.-H., & Lee, J. (2008). Ewom overload and its effect on consumer behavioral intention depending on consumer involvement. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 7(4), 386-398.

Park, D.-H., Lee, J., & Han, I. (2007). The effect of on-line consumer reviews on consumer purchasing intention: The moderating role of involvement. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 11(4), 125-148.

Park, J., Gu, B., & Konana, P. (2009). Impact of multiple word-of-mouth sources on retail sales. ICIS 2009 Proceedings.

Petty, R., & Cacioppo, J. (1981). Issue involvement as a moderator of the effects on attitude of advertising content and context. Advances in Consumer Research, 8(1), 20-24.

Petty, R., & Cacioppo, J. (1984). The effects of involvement on responses to argument quantity and quality: Central and peripheral routes to persuasion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46(1), 69-81.

Petty, R., & Cacioppo, J. (1986). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 19, 123-205.

Petty, R., Cacioppo, J., & Schumann, D. (1983). Central and peripheral routes to advertising effectiveness: The moderating role of involvement. Journal of Consumer Research, 10(2), 135.

Rabjohn, N., Cheung, C., & Lee, M. (2008). Examining the perceived credibility of online opinions: Information adoption in the online environment. Paper presented at the 41st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Hawaii, USA.

Ratchford, B., Talukdar, D., & Lee, M. (2001). A model of consumer choice of the internet as an information source. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 5(3), 7-21.

Rucker, D., Petty, R., & Briñol, P. (2008). What's in a frame anyway?: A meta-cognitive analysis of the impact of one versus two sided message framing on attitude certainty. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 18(2), 137-149.

Schindler, R. M., & Bickart, B. (2005). Published word of mouth: Referable, consumer-generated information on the internet. Online consumer psychology: understanding and influencing consumer behavior in the virtual world, 35.

Shavitt, S., Swan, S., Lowrey, T. M., & Wanke, M. (1994). The interaction of endorser attractiveness and involvement in persuasion depends on the goal that guides message processing. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 3(2), 137-162.

Skowronski, J., & Carlston, D. (1989). Negativity and extremity biases in impression formation: A review of explanations. Psychological Bulletin, 105(1), 131-142.

Smith, R. E., & Vogt, C. A. (1995). The effects of integrating advertising and negative word-of-mouth communications on message processing and response. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 4(2), 133-151.

Swinyard, W. (1981). The interaction between comparative advertising and copy claim variation. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(2), 175-186.

Tseng, S., & Fogg, B. (1999). Credibility and computing technology. Communications of the ACM, 42(5), 44.

Ward, J. C., & Ostrom, A. L. (2003). The internet as information minefield:: An analysis of the source and content of brand information yielded by net searches. Journal of Business Research, 56(11), 907-914.

Wathen, C., & Burkell, J. (2002). Believe it or not: Factors influencing credibility on the web. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 53(2), 134-144.

Weinberger, M., Allen, C., & Dillon, W. (1981). Negative information: Perspectives and research directions. Advances in Consumer Research, 8(1), 398–404.

Ying, H., & Chung, C. (2007). The effects of single-message single-source mixed word-of-mouth on product attitude and purchase intention. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 19(1), 75-86.

Zaichkowsky, J. (1985). Measuring the involvement construct. Journal of Consumer Research, 12(3), 341.

Zaichkowsky, J. (1986). Conceptualizing involvement. Journal of Advertising, 15(2), 4-34.

Zaichkowsky, J. (1994). The personal involvement inventory: Reduction, revision, and application to advertising. Journal of Advertising, 23(4), 59-70.

Zhang, D., Zhou, L., Briggs, R. O., & Nunamaker, J. F. (2006). Instructional video in e-learning: Assessing the impact of interactive video on learning effectiveness. Information & Management, 43(1), 15-27.