How does the number of attribute ratings affect a product's overall rating? Evidence from Tripadvisor

A product's overall rating serves as a quality indicator for prospective consumers, with the online rating system's design playing a critical role. Yet it remains unclear how the number of attribute ratings that consumers assign informs overall ratings. To address this issue, we examined secondary data collected from online hotel reviews and conducted a randomized experiment. Results showed that consumers who provide more attribute ratings tend to give higher and less extreme overall ratings. More precisely, the presence of multiple attribute rating channels discourages consumers from transferring their evaluations of specific attributes to a product's or service's overall rating. Temporal distance and review photo number were found to moderate these relationships. Our research contributes to the literature by clarifying how the number of attribute ratings shapes consumers’ overall rating behavior. We offer corresponding suggestions for online sellers to develop more effective rating management strategies.