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(When) Is a Summary Really Worth a Thousand Words? – How Textual and Visual Customer Review Summaries Affect Cognitive Load During Online Purchase Decisions

In: People, Society, and Ethical Challenges of Information Systems

Author

Listed:
  • Stefanie Erlebach

    (Ulm University, Institute of Business Analytics)

Abstract

Online customer reviews are crucial to inform customers’ online purchase decisions. However, the complex nature and immense volume of customer reviews can easily overload customers’ cognitive resources, with significant negative consequences for customers and online shopping sites. In response, first online shopping sites provide summaries of textual review content (i.e., customer review summaries) alongside individual customer reviews. Building on cognitive load theory, this study examines how customer review summaries in textual and visual presentation formats affect customers’ cognitive load during online purchase decisions. With an incentive-compatible online experiment, we find that displaying customer review summaries reduces cognitive load. While textual and visual review summaries are equally effective, displaying both textual and visual review summaries reduces cognitive load the most. These findings contribute to literature on the design of customer review systems and provide relevant insights for practitioners on how to support customers’ online purchase decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefanie Erlebach, 2026. "(When) Is a Summary Really Worth a Thousand Words? – How Textual and Visual Customer Review Summaries Affect Cognitive Load During Online Purchase Decisions," Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organization, in: Christoph M. Flath & Gunther Gust & Frédéric Thiesse & Axel Winkelmann (ed.), People, Society, and Ethical Challenges of Information Systems, pages 187-202, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:lnichp:978-3-032-08486-6_13
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-08486-6_13
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