The online review function has become a common part of online retail websites. Nowadays, many online retailers allow consumers to upload images and videos along with their text reviews. Yet, there is limited study of the effects of single-modality or multi-modality reviews. Based on the Dual Coding Theory and Stimulus - Organism - Response framework, this study examines the effects of review modality, review valence and the interaction between review modality and review valence on perceived review quality, attitudes towards the product, attitudes towards the e-Retailer, and purchase intention. Three hundred and forty-seven online shoppers participated in a 3 (Review Modality: text only vs. text with picture vs. text with video) × 2 (Review Valence: positive vs. negative) experiment. The study generates four major findings: 1) Text with picture reviews and text with video reviews generate the most favorable attitude towards the product and text with video reviews generate the most favorable attitude towards the e-Retailer. 2) Review modality influences purchase intention through the affective states (attitude towards the product and attitude towards the e-Retailer), instead of cognitive states (perceived review quality). 3) Positive reviews generate more positive attitudes towards the product than negative reviews, while attitudes towards the e-Retailers remain positive regardless of review valence. 4) No significant interaction effect between review modality and review valence is identified on the attitudes towards the product or the e-Retailer. The study discusses limitations, and provides managerial implications for online marketers and directions for future studies. -- Abstract.
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