An Investigation of the Presentational Impacts of User-Generated Picture and Text on Consumer Information Processing and Attitude Outcomes in the e-WOM Context

Given the importance of e-WOM and the lack of academic research on the role of pictures in influencing consumer decision making, we adapt the cue summation theory to examine the effects of the relative layout (the alternate layout vs. the separate layout) and relative sequence (UGP first vs. UGT first) on diagnosticity, pleasantness of e-WOM and customers' attitude towards the recommended product/service in the e-WOM. We conduct an experiment to test our research model. The results show that separate layout is better than the alternate layout in perceived diagnosticity and product evaluation, especially when the UGP is displayed first than the UGT first displayed. In contrast, for pleasantness, alternate layout is better than separate layout, regardless of the sequence of text and picture. These findings make important contributions to e-WOM literature and extend cue-summation theory. Our research also provides guidelines on the presentational strategies of e-WOM.