Extremeness aversion—the tendency for consumers to prefer middling options in a choice set—is an incredibly robust and well-studied phenomenon. However, it has primarily been studied in the context of two- or three-option choice sets. In six studies (Ntotal = 9,377), we suggest that consumers’ aversion to extreme options depends on the frequency of similar options in the choice set. In particular, we find that consumers are relatively more likely to choose an option that is in an extreme relative position when they are exposed to multiple extreme options, an effect not predicted by standard theories of context-dependent choice. This occurs because consumers perceive objectively extreme (vs. intermediate) options as relatively more typical of the product category. We demonstrate that this effect is robust across different types of compositions, hypothetical and incentive-compatible studies, and in a variety of decision contexts (e.g., purchasing an item vs. choosing an activity to complete). Furthermore, we identify boundary conditions, such as the type of occasion consumers are choosing for.

This research investigates how reviewers’ self-presentation strategies influence their posting behavior. We find reviewers are less likely to post negative reviews early in their review history due to concerns that doing so would make them appear as lacking warmth. This concern diminishes as the number of reviews associated with their profile increases, resulting in a discernable negative trend in ratings at the reviewer level. We document this trend across two well-known review platforms (Yelp and TripAdvisor). A series of controlled laboratory studies replicate the effect while demonstrating the role played by self-presentation concerns in explaining the downward trend of ratings. Specifically, we find that concerns about appearing to lack warmth influence reviewers’ initial reluctance to post negative (but not positive) reviews, whereas concerns about appearing competent do not. We identify two theoretically consistent managerial interventions that moderate the effect. Allowing reviewers to rate experiences without associating a review with their profile reduces the effect of the number of prior reviews on their likelihood to post, as does prompting them to mention one positive element in their written comments. Our findings underscore the common concern that online review platforms provide positively skewed ratings and offer insight into how to address this.