網路產品評鑑訊息之有用性與模糊性對消費者消費決策之影響

The Effects of Usefulness and Ambiguity of Product Evaluation Information on Consumer Decision Making on the Internet

許盟雪(Meng-Hsueh Hsu)

指導教授 ： 蘇婉如

元智大學/管理學院/管理研究所/碩士(2002年)

摘要

摘要
隨著網際網路使用人口的不斷增加與網路資訊的豐富化，網際網路已經逐漸趕上傳統的電視、廣播、報紙等媒體，成為消費者獲得產品資訊來源的主要管道。消費者可以利用網路的速度及便利性，在任何時間、任何地點，方便地搜尋所需要的資訊。然而，網路的普及也衍生了資訊過載的問題，當消費者在面對過多的產品及資訊時，往往不知如何選擇，於是開始求助於他人。為了解決消費者的問題，許多網站會請專家或使用過產品的社會大眾為產品做評價，以作為消費者的參考依據。
目前網路上的產品評鑑訊息相當多樣化，評鑑訊息的內容更是包羅萬象，其中以模糊(ambiguity)的字句來陳述，以及添加其他瀏覽者對於該訊息有用性(usefulness)之看法的內容呈現方式最具特別。然而，這樣的產品評鑑內容呈現方式是否會影響到消費者的消費決策？模糊的字句會如何影響消費者的消費決策過程呢？又產品評鑑訊息的有用程度是否也會影響到消費者對訊息之有用性認知呢？此皆為本研究欲探討之議題。
本研究以問卷調查方法進行研究，於問卷中設計實驗產品網頁，並且在網頁中操弄本研究所探討之各項變數。本研究結果發現：
1.使用者產品評鑑訊息之有用程度確實會影響消費者的消費決策。當使用者產品評鑑訊息的有用程度越高時，消費者會因從眾行為而提昇有用性認知，隨著其對評鑑訊息的信賴度，以及對產品的態度和購買意願也會提高。
2.使用者產品評鑑訊息之模糊程度會提升消費者對使用者評鑑訊息的有用性認知、信賴度、產品態度和購買意願。當消費者面對模糊訊息時，會因模糊性提供了多樣化的解讀方式和較大的想像空間而增加其對評鑑訊息的有用性認知，進而增加對評鑑訊息的信賴度，以及對產品的正面態度和購買意願。
3.使用者產品評鑑訊息之有用程度對消費者有用性認知和信賴度的影響均會受到產品知識所干擾。產品知識不足的消費者因為缺少對產品的瞭解，需要藉助他人的意見來評估產品，因此在面對有用程度越高的評鑑訊息時，越會認為他人的產品評鑑訊息是有用的。

關鍵字

產品評鑑訊息 ； 模糊性 ； 有用性 ； 相似性 ； 產品知識 ； 網路消費決策

並列摘要

ABSTRACT
As Internet gains its popularity, both the number of users and the contents have increased to the extent that Internet has become one major souce of information for consumers who are searching for relevant information to facilitate their purchase decisions. At the same time, however, the openness and interconnectedness of the Internet has also resulted in a plethora of information about various brands and product features that eventually create the problem of information overload for consumers. In order to overcome this problem, many consumers thus depend on the product reviews voluntarily posted on the Internet by users to help them make better decisions. These reviews or product evaluations takes the form of word of mouth communication, but come from strangers who have used the products before. It is the purpose of this research to study how consumers react to this type of communication on the Internet.
This research focuses on two specific aspects of product reviews on the Internet. One is the use of ambiguous description in the product review and the other is the provision of usefulness evaluation tallied from other visitors to the web site who have seen this review. This research examines how the ambiguity and the usefulness of the product evaluation information affect consumers'' judgment and decisions.
The results show that the information usefulness, which is averaged from other visitors'' feedback regarding the review, is positively related to the perceived credibility of the product reviews as well as consumer attitude toward the product and purchase intention. As to information ambiguity, it is found that the use of ambiguous description not only helps increase the perceived usefulness and the credibility of the product review, but also improves consumer attitude and purchase intention. Furthermore, product knowledge is found to play an important role in moderating the impact of information usefulness and ambiguity.

並列關鍵字

Product Evaluation Information ； Ambiguity ； Usefulness ； Interpersonal Similarity ； Product Knowledge ； Consumer Decision Making on Internet

參考文獻

1.Alba, J. W. and J. W. Hutchinson (1987), “Dimensions of Consumer Expertise,” Journal of Consumer Research, 13(March), 411-454.

2.Allen, V. L. (1965), “Situational Factors in,” Advances in Experimental and Social Psychology, 2, ed. Leonard Berkowitz, New York: Academic Press, 133-175.

3.Applbaum, Ronald F. and Karl W. E. Anatol (1972), “The Factor Structure of Source Credibility as a Function of the Speaking Situation,” Speech Monographs, 39(August), 216-222.

4.Arndt, Johann (1967), "Role of Product-Related Conversation in the Diffusion of a New Product", Journal of Marketing Research, 4, 291-295

5.Asch, S. E. (1956), “Studies of Independence and Conformity: A Majority of One Against a Unanimous Majority,” Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 70(9), No. 416, 70-79.