Risky Business: Effects of Risk-Related Reviews and Priming Cues in Uncertain Times

Abstract

The risks inherent in booking travel destinations include natural disasters, economic conditions, diseases, terrorism, and war. In times of uncertainty, peoples’ beliefs, biases, and attitudes influence decisions between competing choices. This research examined how affective and behavioral priming influence travelers’ responses to valence and risk cues within online reviews. The risk avoidance principle of prospect theory, in conjunction with the asymmetry effect of positive and negative information, underpinned the studies. The results revealed that different primes influenced responses to review risk content as a function of valence. Behavioral priming increased the impact of positive risk content, whereas negative affective priming amplified the effect of negative risk content. This study builds on the extant body of knowledge by using video to prime emotions and establishing the viability of multiple concurrent primes. The research provides practical suggestions for navigating risk- and affect-related travel influences during times of uncertainty.