Mold Ratings Use by Shaping Modes

You might think your shoppers’ interpretation of a ratings distribution comes from them objectively eyeballing where the mean average is and how the ratings are distributed across the categories. In thinking this, you could be wrong. Researchers at Germany’s TU Dortmund University find that the mode affects the impressions in a way which can mislead consumers.
     On a bar chart of results using a five-interval rating system, the mode is the rating point from 1 to 5 which receives the most responses. This makes it the longest bar. That rating number might not include the mean average. The mean average is calculated by totaling the numeric values of all the ratings and dividing by the number of ratings. When the mode differs from the mean, it’s the mean which better represents the overall impressions of those who used the rating scale.
     The pull of the mode occurs because decision makers seek shortcuts and the longest bar in a chart stands out, so is most quickly noticed and can be perceived to be representative of the whole ratings distribution.
     In reporting their results, those German researchers do emphasize that attending principally to the mode is sometimes correct. Shoppers could be looking for the most popular single opinion, considering it to be especially reliable. But this is best done with an awareness of the potential decision-making distortion from the draw of the mode.
     In the studies, an alphanumeric presentation of a ratings distribution—listing each rating interval name, such as “Very good,” and then the number of ratings at that interval—showed less evidence of mode bias than did a bar chart presentation. Because people appreciate graphs, you might choose to address the problem by presenting both formats as well as a statement of the mean rating. The researchers also found it helpful to allow the consumer to animate a bar chart by stretching and compressing the bars.
     However, in another stream of research about graphical presentations, it’s been seen how animation can lead to misperceptions about trajectories. People readily imagine what is ahead, such as when viewing animated charts of weight loss or the anticipated completion of construction.
     Protect your business and consumers by staying aware of the dangers of flawed predictions from any animated presentations you do choose to use. Give disclaimers like, “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” Add the disclaimer of a flashing question mark at the end of the trajectory.

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