Professor Scott discusses Airbnb ratings in MarketWatch

July 11, 2024

Have you ever been conflicted on how to review an Airbnb stay? Or did you feel like the ratings didn’t match the expectations?

For MarketWatch, writer Danielle Hyams explored the issue from a psychological perspective, getting multiple opinions on the phenomenon. Whittier College Social Psychology Professor Christina Scott said cognitive dissonance could be why people leave inflated ratings that don’t match experiences. She explained people could be more inclined to leave negative reviews for cheaper purchases, but less so when the item is expensive.

“We see this in social psychology when people make larger purchases. They don’t want to feel bad, they don’t want that buyer’s remorse,” Scott said.

Read more at MarketWatch.com.

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