Effects of exemplars and base-rate information on online physician rating sites

Abstract

In recent years, the number of users on online physician rating sites has increased continuously. According to exemplification theory, user comments have a strong influence on individual judgments. Visualized base-rate information can constrain these effects. This study examines the impact of exemplars and base-rate information regarding physician rating sites on the perception and evaluation of doctors, as well as participants’ behavioral intentions. To address this question, we conducted a 2 x 2 x 2 online experiment (N = 216). We developed eight alternative versions of a physician rating site, varying the valence of the exemplars (factor 1: positive/negative) and base-rate information (factor 2: positive/negative) and the type of presentation of the base-rate information (factor 3: bar graph/average grade). Our results show that the valence of both significantly influenced participants’ recall, evaluation and behavioral intentions. Furthermore, the negative bar graph led to a more accurate evaluation than the negative average grade. The strong impact of base-rate information limits the scope of exemplification effects in the context of physician online rating sites.