Analysis of Social Influence in Online Book Reviews

Abstract

It has been widely recognized that online opinions constitute important informational sources for consumers and producers. The open nature of communication supported by social media, however, raises an important yet unsettled question of whether and how earlier opinions affect those that come after. This poster presents a model to illustrate the relationship between existing and new reviews. Based on 12,500 Amazon reviews, our choice model shows support for the idea that social contagion may be an important mechanism guiding behaviors of online reviewers. The results thus offer novel insights toward a better understanding of contagious behaviors, as well as minority influence, among social media users.