The Influence of Online Reviews on Consumers’ Trust among Senior High School Students

The Influence of Online Reviews on Consumers’ Trust Among Senior High School Students

Abegail N. Lucero, Lea R. Malobago, Blessy Miles G. Wood, Melanie Jacob, Jaysha Mae Marañon Villegas, Rielyn Joyce T., Jissa Mae B. Olivo Pondang, Kenneth A

Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School109 Juan Luna St. Poblacion Davao City, Philippines

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.9020161

Received: 23 January 2025; Revised: 01 February 2025; Accepted: 04 February 2025; Published: 08 March 2025

ABSTRACT

The credibility of online reviews sites is questioned due to the prevalence of review manipulation, leading to decreased consumers’’ trust and satisfaction. This study aimed to examine the relationship between online reviews, consumer trust, and their influence on purchasing decisions among senior high school students. Using a descriptive-correlational design, data were collected from 300 senior high school students through modified and adapted survey questionnaires. The mean and Pearson’s correlation were used to analyze the data. The results revealed a very high level of reliance on online reviews among students, as well as a very high level of consumer trust in these reviews. Moreover, the analysis showed a strong, significant relationship (r = 0.724, p < 0.05) between online reviews and consumer trust, indicating that the consumer trust of senior high school students significantly influences how much they trust in making choices when shopping online. However, the study also highlights the need for the critical evaluation of online information to mitigate the risks of misinformation and biased reviews. These findings suggest that while students are highly engaged with online reviews and trust them significantly, they may not always be equipped to discern credible information from misleading content. Consequently, the study recommends that educational institutions incorporate media literacy and critical thinking modules into senior high school curricula, particularly in subjects like Media and Information Literacy and Consumer Education. These modules should focus on teaching students how to evaluate online reviews critically, identify potential biases, verify sources, and differentiate between genuine and misleading information. Furthermore, schools should conduct interactive workshops, discussions, and case studies on real-life instances of deceptive online reviews to enhance students’ analytical skills. By integrating these strategies, students will be better equipped to make informed purchasing decisions and navigate the digital marketplace responsibly.

Keywords: descriptive-correlation design, online reviews, consumers’ trust, senior high school students

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Studies on online activities have shown that trust is a key factor in driving customer satisfaction (McKnight et al., 2017). Strong customer trust encourages loyalty to a product or service, leading consumers’ to continue using the service or purchasing the product. However, due to several scandals in recent years revealing evidence of review manipulation, consumers’ have begun questioning the credibility of online review sites (Menfors & Fernstedt, 2015).

This trend has also been observed worldwide. For example, in the United States, online shopping fraud losses reported by the Federal Trade Commission reached $392 million during the pandemic (Mayfield, 2022). To combat information gaps and fake reviews, consumers’ rely heavily on online reviews. Yet, building trust remains essential due to the prevalence of fraudulent reviews and the absence of face-to-face interactions. In the U.S., 75.5% of consumers’ trust online reviews, while 90.6% read them before making a purchase, indicating that customer trust is crucial for businesses to thrive (Simpson, 2023). Similarly, South Korea has experienced a steady rise in online shopping volumes over the past few years (Statista, 2023). Despite efforts by retailers to foster trust, consumers’ still struggle to make confident decisions when purchasing experience goods online. In China, Taobao, a major online marketplace, began offering small monetary incentives to shoppers who leave positive reviews (Duan et al., 2019). This reflects a broader trend among e-commerce platforms seeking to enhance consumer trust (Sebastianelli & Tamimi, 2018).

In the Philippines, a study by Teves (2023) found that customer trust is significantly influenced by a mobile shopping app’s behavioral intention, trustworthiness, security, and perceived risk. Online reviews have become essential to shoppers, with at least 20% to 50% of purchasing decisions influenced by them (Mathwick & Mosteller, 2016). These reviews provide potential buyers with insights into others’ experiences, allowing them to assess an app’s functionality, reliability, and overall value before making a final decision. Online reviews are particularly relevant for prospective buyers who rely on feedback from previous consumers’ (Thakur, 2018).

Despite extensive research on customer trust, a significant gap remains in understanding how these behaviors manifest among senior high school students. Addressing this gap is crucial, as young consumers’ are increasingly making online purchasing decisions. Therefore, this study aims to examine customer trust among senior high school students, explore effective strategies for assessing trustworthiness in online reviews, and identify ways to empower students to make informed and responsible shopping choices.

Significance of the Study

The researchers believe that this study, the influence of online reviews on consumer trust among senior high school students, is valuable and essential for the following persons and entities:

Department of Education (DepEd). This study may inform DepEd about how to provide policy directions that could further enhance digital literacy and consumer education in the basic education curriculum. By emphasizing how students should evaluate online sources, there is a great possibility that students could learn how to make informed decisions against the complexities of modern consumer landscapes.

School Administration. It is expected that the findings of this research will be helpful for school administrations in devising specific programs and workshops on digital literacy and responsible behaviour online. These would help to nurture critical thinking about and interaction with digital content, thereby better preparing students for challenges in the digital marketplace.

Teachers. The study focuses on critical knowledge that could provide valuable insights into how online reviews influence consumer trust. Such knowledge could underpin lesson planning in ways that infuse discussions about digital ethics and media literacy, thus rendering the students cognitively able to critically analyze information relevant to their future careers.

Students. This research shows the importance of discriminating consumers’ in an online setting. It would therefore be useful to know how online reviews affect students’ trust in order to take purchasing decisions better into consideration-one which complements consumer behavior in engaging with the marketplace.

Online shoppers. The findings can be used to enlighten online shoppers regarding the importance of online reviews in informing their choices of products to buy. Since consumers’ will be aware of how reviews create perceptions of trust, they will be able to devise ways of successfully making product and service evaluations that will have implications for their shopping.

Online Shopping Industry. The study will benefit by this finding in terms of understanding how authenticated, transparent reviews build up trust amongst customers. This will, in turn, help the business improve its processes to obtain customer feedback with the result of increased customer confidence and thereby increase sales with improved customer engagement.

Future Researchers. The present study lays a foundation for future studies on the role of online reviews in consumer behavior concerning different demographics. These findings can also be useful in future research on topics of concern to the subject matter, such as the influence of social network influencers and their perception by trust in different age brackets.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the significant relationship between online reviews on consumers’ trust among senior high school students. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

What is the level of online reviews of senior high school students in terms of:

Review Ratings
Review Volume; and
Review Authenticity?

What is the level of consumers’ trust of senior high school students in terms of:

Engagement Metrics
Consistency; and
Reviewer’s Personal Experience?

Is there a significant relationship between online reviews on consumers’ trust among senior high school students?

Hypotheses

This study was tested at a 0.5 level of significance.

H₀: There is no significant relationship between online reviews on consumers’ trust among senior high school students.

H_a: There is a significant relationship between online reviews on consumers’ trust among senior high school students.

Review of Related Literature

In this section, the research reviews literature relevant to the study, the empirical studies and literature are selected for their relevance and significance to the topic investigation. The discussion follows the following topics: online reviews, consumers’ trust, and the relationship among online reviews on consumers’’ trust of senior high school students.

Online Reviews

Online reviews are a conversation between a sender and receivers: review writers send messages to potential consumers’ aiming to either convince or dissuade them from choosing a product or service (Berger, 2015) and/or they send messages to the firm to provide feedback to companies, helping them improve their offerings and address customer concerns (Hsu, Kovács, & Koçak, 2019). The persuasive power of online reviews is critical because consumers’ do rely on them when making an informed choice, thus the credibility and reliability of the reviewers can be considered to be at their most critical.

Consumer’s online reviews do not just influence his buying decision favorably but also significantly where more positive purchases are seen more on a quality review than low reviews (Sianipar & Yoestini, 2021).Meanwhile, Mahmudah (2021) shows that online customer review may not always have a significant effect on purchasing decisions. It is not a reason for a consumer to buy a product because as consumers’ may already have confidence in their choices. In October 2020, research by Wall Street Journal revealed surprising factual statistics every business would want to know and the importance of online reviews. Firm need to seize of their knowledge of role of online reviews that prove that consumers’ rely on them as the primary source of information for product when making purchasing decisions, while Internet shoppers rely heavily upon reviews for planning purchases (Fu et al., 2020). In-store, customers are physically able to experience the products, whereas, with regards to online purchases, the customers rely majorly on reviews when they decide to buy or not (Schneider & Zielke, 2020).

Review Ratings. Online ratings usually range from 1 to 5 stars and are commonly used to assess an organization’s reputation or appeal to its audience (Sharkey, Kovács, & Hsu, 2023). These star ratings offer a quick and intuitive way for consumers’ to gauge the general satisfaction and quality of an organization’s products or services. Certain findings claim that consumers’ rely on reviews posted on the internet and it has an impact on the purchasing decisions (Simamora & Maryana, 2023), whereas others argue that the ratings by themselves may not have such a great impact on purchasing decisions. Decisions may be based on the reviews rather than the rating (Istiqomah & Mufidah, 2021). Consumer reviews or customer ratings are opinions given by consumers’ on the information from the evaluation of a product in various aspects. With this information, consumers’ can get the quality of the product they are looking for from the reviews and ratings by consumers’ who have purchased products from online sellers (Mo et al., 2015).

Review Volume. Many studies have shown that reviews, especially online reviews, are very important in consumers’’ purchasing decisions. The volume of reviews therefore leads to high intended purchase behavior because consumers’ perceive products that have many reviews as more legitimate and reliable (Siddayya, 2023). A study found that when review volume is low, consumers’ prefer direct sales channels, but this preference weakens with high review volumes, indicating that volume can influence both channel choice and purchase intent (Song et al., 2023). Online retailers will provide filters for consumers’ to sort the star ratings of products based on positive or negative reviews (Tata, Prashar, & Gupta, 2019). Additionally, review volume has significant relationship with consumers’’ purchase intention as high review volume will result in high purchase intention among consumers’. Besides that, 92% of consumers’ will hesitate during purchasing if there is no online consumer reviews on that particular products (Harding, 2016).

Review Authenticity. Online reviews today have become part and parcel of the decision-making process of consumers’ because they make purchases based on reviews. However, recently, authenticity online reviews became a problem because of the increasing perception about fake reviews, biased opinions, and manipulative ratings. Therefore, the authenticity of online reviews is something on which the customers will decide the right choice (Filieri, 2016). Looking at the sources of online reviews, the authenticity is mainly considered, and reliability of the evaluator believes that the credibility of the review has a positive influence on the buying intentions of customers (Jim, 2022). Liu Wei et al., (2020) studied the factors that influence the usefulness of online reviews on e-commerce platforms and further found that experienced reviewers are perceived as more credible, which enhances the usefulness of the reviews and, thus, increases customers’ perceptions of their value.

Consumers’ Trust

Trust is a psychosocial concept that involves believing and trusting that others will behave positively (Priansa, 2017). Customer trust forms an elementary building block of long-term consumer-brand relationships (Glaveli, 2021; Villagra et al., 2021). Consumer trust determines the business’s sustainability; if it is lacking, the company’s products may not survive in the market. However, products with trusted consumers’ will most likely grow in the market. Trust will determine the credibility of a firm since it will dictate how the buyers will perceive the product information represented by reviews (Kempa et al., 2020). Positive reviews increase customers’ trust and positively influence a buying choice. Conversely, negative reviews damage trust and force the buyers to seek other options (Herlambang, 2023). Hence, gaining trust through a review is a necessity because it will guide consumers’ on whether to make a purchase or not in a confident manner (Oluwabiyi, 2022).

Engagement Metrics. Consumer-generated content in the form of reviews, pictures and videos and posts in social media have emerged as a very influential variable in determining the context of online retail (Santos, 2022; Mayrhofer et al., 2020; Aydin et al., 2021; Li et al., 2023). Such content is mainly disseminated through social media sites such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, spreading it even further (Aras et al., 2022; Muda & Hamzah, 2021; Geng & Chen, 2021). Buying decisions also result from exposure to various marketing strategies, and viral marketing is extremely instrumental in influencing consumer behavior (Tannady & Alvita, 2023). With the new digital economy, viral marketing helps businesses reach and engage with their respective target markets. It could be used to create buzz or generate awareness for a product or service on social media websites as well as online forums. When consumers’ visit online customer reviews based on viral marketing, trusting intentions toward these reviews are robust in determining consumer perceptions and purchase intentions (Menidjel & Bilgihan, 2022). These final statistics demonstrate the fact that in the scientific realm, academia interested in the topic ‘social commerce’ is growing and more emphasis is on trust as a main theoretical focus, Han et al. (2018), Lu, Fan & Zhou (2016).

Consistency. Consistency in reviews is a mandatory need to build and increase credibility and, in turn, shall improve trust and consumer confidence, which finally would affect their purchasing behavior. The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) says that rating consistency plays a major role in the decision-making process of consumers’ (Aghakhani et al., 2021). Social media platforms allow users to express opinions and influence each other’s purchasing decisions, making them a key venue for e-commerce (Bilal et al., 2021). In this context, consumers’ – participants in social media platforms allow users to express opinions and influence each other’s purchasing decisions. In fact, social media has deeply changed people’s way of life, being established as an important forum for e-commerce (Bilal et al., 2021), helping customers make better purchase decisions and challenging the contemporary administration in the current world (Bispo, 2022). The text of a review and its associated rating should be consistent to provide more value for the customer. Inconsistency between review rating and review textual can create confusion and deter potential buyers. Another study by Ghasemaghaei et al., (2018) shows that a review’s sentiment can predict its rating score. Thus, writers are expected to provide a rating score that is consistent with the sentiment that they have expressed in the review.

Reviewer’s Personal Experience. Self-experience consistency has an important effect on life satisfaction; however, the underlying mechanism of this relationship remains unclear. Zhang, Deng, and Liu (2023) aim to explore why consistent self-experience contributes to greater life satisfaction. This part explores the impact of the reviewer’s own experience on customer trust. Eftimov (2023) reviewed the existing literature on consumer responses to online product or service reviews, where he discussed reviews and their influence over the purchase behavior, trust, and brand reputation. It also researches some influencing factors of reviews’ credibility, including the knowledge of the reviewer and the volume of reviews. The personal experience of the reviewer greatly influences customer trust. The customers’ impression about the product and purchasing decision largely depend on the honest, relatable, and believable accounts offered by the reviewers.

Relationship among Online Reviews on Consumers’ Trust 

Kim and Peterson (2017) highlight that consumer trust is an important aspect often examined in e-commerce studies. Trust serves as a link between various influences on consumer behavior and outcomes such as the likelihood of using or returning to an e-commerce site or deciding to make a purchase online. According to Hajli, (2015), based on all comments and reviews about the company appearing on social media platforms, a consumer becomes better acquainted with the company and increases an overall level of trust when it comes to the purchase. Generally speaking, peer recommendations refer to those that come from friends and family members, as observed by Cheung, Xiao, & Liu, (2015; Yan et al., 2016). This may indicate that consumers’ place higher value on information disseminated by their peers from social networks rather than from outsiders of their circle. In addition, the kind of product and its price in comparison to that of other businesses may determine the interaction of reviews with consumer trust. The consumers’ are willing to take more risks on low-value items such as CDs, books, or small appliances because of the lower risk of the financial loss they will incur, thereby having a high propensity to purchase from an online store (Ventre & Kolbe, 2020). They wouldn’t be bothered with something as simple as fake websites, products not matching their descriptions, or late delivery. However, when the price tag is higher, trust becomes a much bigger factor. Consumers’ are more cautious because financial risk is greater (Ventre & Kolbe, 2020). This is why positive reviews from other customers are so important for high-value purchases. Consumers’ seek assurance of good past experiences. Additionally, consumers’ are more likely to trust reviews from people they know or through their social media connections than from strangers (Dong, Li, & Sivakumar, 2019), which will have an impact on trust in an overall online store.

Synthesis

This kind of literature consists of the following topics: online reviews, consumers’ trust, and the relationship about online reviews on consumers’ trust. The online reviews of the senior high school students, which consisted of the following indicators: review ratings, review volume, and review authenticity, were first discussed. The succeeding topic presented and discussed was about consumers’’ trust, which consisted of the following indicators: engagement metrics, consistency, and the reviewer’s personal experience. Lastly, different literature and studies were presented relating to online reviews on consumers’ trust.

Conceptual Framework

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework of the Study

The independent variable is online reviews, measured in three key indicators: review volume, review ratings, and review authenticity. Review volume is the term that refers to the total number of reviews available for a given product or service; the high volume often signifies popularity and credibility, thus increasing the level of consumer trust (Yang, J., Sarathy, R., & Lee, J. 2016). Review ratings are the average rating assigned to a product or service by reviewers that signifies high ratings are mostly related to positive experiences and greater levels of trust (Guo et al., 2017). Authenticity issues in reviews include genuineness and credibility over aspects like the identity of a reviewer, the content of a review, and manipulating reviews. It is very authentic when reviews are not biased and manipulated, which goes to raise consumer confidence (Nunes, J. C., Ordanini, A., & Giambastiani, G. 2021).

The dependent variable in this study is consumers’’ trust that is measured in terms of engagement metrics, consistency, and reviewer’s personal experience. The metric of consumer engagement in liking, sharing, and commenting reflects consumer interaction with online reviews; thus high engagement suggests that consumers’ find the online reviews valuable and informative, thereby an acceptable level of trust toward information presented (Perreault, M. C., & Mosconi, E. 2018). Consistency refers to the degree to which reviews are well-aligned with other sources of information and consumer expectations, where consistency in reviews by platforms and sources amplifies trust, but conflicts erode it (Lassoued & Hobbs, 2015). Finally, personal experience on the part of the reviewer looks into how well the experiences and views of reviewers resonate with potential consumers’ of a product or service (Mohseni et al., 2018). Reviews that call forth similar experiences and offer would-be consumers’ valuable information can facilitate the development of trust because consumers’ can relate to the reviewer’s point of view.

This framework has suggested that the reviews on any site have a substantial influence on the trust of consumers’ among senior high school students. The volume, ratings, and authenticity of reviews directly affect consumers’’ engagement with reviews and their perception of consistency that will eventually affect the degree of trust in information. When the consumers’ feel reviews as authentic and reliable, they may get involved with them because the information is consistent with other information, hence permitting trust in the information presented, and they may make positive decisions over purchase.

METHODS

This chapter presents the methodology of the study, including the research design, research locale, respondents of the study, sampling design, research instrument, ethical considerations, data gathering procedure, and data analysis.

Research Design

Researchers utilized the non-experimental quantitative method of research to collect relevant data and information. According to Adam (2024), non-experimental is a research methodology that does not introduce an independent variable, and instead looks at past events trying to analyze them from new angles. Non-experimental research is often required by the fact that there are many independent variables we cannot manipulate, according to Johnson (2020). For instance, some variables are ethically impossible to change, practically impossible to do, and literally impossible to control. This method was useful for the study on consumer trust in online reviews. Non-experimental research always revolves around the data that is readily available; thus, more often, it involves reviewing different online sites and understanding consumer behavior and market trends. In non-experimental correlation, researchers can unmask precious secrets by investigating real-world relationships between online reviews and consumer trust without manipulating any of the variables under study.

This study used descriptive-correlational design. According to McCombes (2019), descriptive research is an appropriate choice when the research aim is to identify characteristics, frequencies, trends, and categories. Additionally, Bhandari (2021) cited that a correlational research design investigates relationships between variables without the researcher controlling or manipulating any of them. Descriptive-correlation research design is much applicable for this research study on the influence of online reviews on consumer trust among senior high school students because, from this research design, it will be possible to explain the relationship between variables, such as the influence of online reviews on customer satisfaction-value for decision-making. From analyzing the relationship above, we can understand whether there is a positive correlation between the two variables.

Research Locale

The study was conducted at Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School, 109 Juan Luna St., Poblacion District, Davao City, where the chosen respondents are the selected Senior High School students of Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School. The researchers chose the place because students have similar backgrounds, interests, and experiences. It is also easy to find and contact, which can make this research easier and faster. It is also essential to reduce the risk of bias and less worry about transportation issues, which can make the findings more generalizable to students. Additionally, it is convenient for the researchers to establish a connection between the respondents and the school, which can lead to more accurate and meaningful results for this study.

Research Respondents

In this study, the respondents were the senior high school students enrolled at Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School for the academic year 2024-2025, regardless of their strand. These students were selected to be the respondents for this study since they can make better use of judgment as a consumer in the digital environment. Once they interact with the sellers by judicious purchasing decisions while realizing the effect that online reviews have on their confidence in a product, these students are going to better their overall consumer behavior.

Sampling Design

This study employed simple random sampling, where a set of respondents is randomly selected from a population. In simple random sampling, each member of a population has an equal chance of selection. In the simple random sampling technique, the method used in selecting individuals is unbiased and fair; hence, there is no bias in their selections (Thomas, 2020). Using Slovin’s method, the researchers were be able to determine the sample size needed to carry out this investigation.

Research Instrument

The two variables of this study were measured using two instruments: the online reviews questionnaire, which consists of three (3) domains such as review ratings, review volume, and review authenticity. Also, the consumers’ trust questionnaire, which consists of three (3) domains such as engagement metrics, consistency, and the reviewer’s personal experience.

For validation, the survey questionnaire was forwarded to the experts. A validation sheet was used by the experts to rate the survey questionnaire. All of the experts’ opinions and recommendations were followed. Following the validity test, the survey questionnaire was piloted to fifteen (15) grade 11 students, regardless of their strand. Cronbach Alpha was used to assess its reliability. Cronbach alpha evaluated a group of survey items’ reliability or internal consistency (Vaske et al., 2017).

Online reviews. The items for Online reviews were researchers made with a 4-point Likert scale that focuses on a detailed evaluation of the construct of online reviews in terms of review ratings, review volume, and review authenticity. The rating scale for this attribute is as follows:

Consumers’ trust. The items for Consumers’ trust were researchers made with a 4-point Likert scale that focuses on a detailed evaluation of the construct of Consumers’ trust in terms of engagement metrics, consistency, and the reviewer’s personal experience. The following was the rating scale that was used with this variable.

Ethical Considerations

Fleming (2018) highlights some ethical dilemmas commonly encountered as an ‘insider researcher’, including the power differential and ongoing relationships with participants. It is, however, important to further consider the fundamentals of ethical research involving human participants.  It is important that human research ethics approval has been obtained. The authenticity and validity of research studies are greatly enhanced by ethical considerations, particularly when topical issues like students such as their purchasing decisions and responsible online behavior are involved. This study adheres to ethical guidelines governed by four essential elements:

Social value. The research study seeks to present senior high school students, with a better social awareness about the importance of online reviews in their purchasing decision in order to determine on their disruption choices. The researchers look into these elements, projects, and materials intended to help students have more understanding on effects of online reviews on their trust, and efficient at making decisions that have an immediate beneficial impact on students.

Informed consent. Prior to data collection, each respondent’s informed consent was needed. The purpose, method, possible risk and benefits, and privacy regulations of the research were all made readily apparent to the participants. To guarantee that the respondents were chosen properly and that their privacy was respected, only those who gave their willingness were allowed to answer the survey’s questions.

Risk, Benefits, and Safety. The present study recognized a number of potential risks in terms of discomfort or privacy breaches that might have been linked to discussing personal views on consumer trust. These concerns were minimized by insisting on strict adherence to the privacy policies in hold, ensuring privacy and security of participant identities and responses. Benefits included being able for students to assess the impact of online reviews on consumers’’ trust to improve their purchasing decision, manage to improve knowledge as well as focused beneficial actions. Respondents’ safety was the number one concern; therefore, any discomfort they experienced was handled immediately, and participants were given a list of options for help if necessary.

Privacy and Confidentiality of Information. This research adhered with the Data Privacy Act of 2012. This protects people’s rights when it pertains to the handling of their own information. Only allowed researchers had access to the safe storage of all the data that had been gathered. The researcher maintained confidentiality, and results were provided in an aggregated manner to avoid identifying specific participants.

Data Gathering Procedure

The following steps were strictly followed in the conduct of the study:

Permission to Conduct the Study. To begin the process, the researcher first obtained permission by addressing a formal letter to the School Principal of Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School, informing them about the study, the respondents, and the objective of the study. Upon receiving approval, the researcher informed the class advisers about conducting the study in their respective sections.

Distribution and Retrieval of Survey Questionnaire. Once the letter of request was approved and disseminated, the researchers distributed the questionnaire to the respondents. During the initial meeting with the respondents, the researchers provided a detailed summary of the study and explained the importance of their participation and responses. To ensure accurate completion of the questionnaires, the researchers monitored the process personally. The respondents were informed that their participation is voluntary and that their responses would be kept confidential during the study. Besides, respondents used of the survey by just ticking or marking the boxes to reflect their views on online reviews and their implications on consumer trust.

Collation and Statistical Treatment of the Study. After collecting the completed questionnaires, the researchers encoded the data into Microsoft Excel, organized it by study domains, and applied the appropriate statistical methods for analysis. The results were then be interpreted to address the research objectives and draw meaningful conclusions.

Data Analysis

The researchers utilized several statistical tools, such as the mean and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, to analyze the respondents’ responses. Each tool gained insight, make data-driven decisions, and helped interpret the relationships among the study variables comprehensively.

Mean. This was used to determine the sum of all values in the data set divided by the number of values. In particular, it was used to determine the level of online reviews and consumer trust of students and to determine the sum of all positive and negative online reviews that may affect consumer trust. By computing the mean, the researcher was able to give useful information concerning the overall online reviews and knowledge level of the students.

Pearson’s Correlation. This was be able to measure the strength of association between two variables and, more specifically, User-Generated Online Consumer Reviews (UGRs) were one of the most reliable sources of information that many consumers’ use to assess the many products they can buy (Eslami et al., 2018). This statistical measure was able to calculate a score range by comparing their respective attributes, and was able to compute a score range. A high score meant high similarly, while a near zero score meant no correlation.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter presents the findings and discussion based on the date gathered. The presentation is organized based on the sequence of the problem statement in the first chapter.

Level of Online Reviews

Presented in Table 1 is the level of online reviews in terms of review ratings, review volume, and review authenticity.

Table 1. Level of Online Reviews among Senior High School Students

The table reveals that the overall standard deviation is 0.369 with a mean value of online reviews is 3.29, which is described as very high. This means that the online reviews of senior high school students are always manifested. This finding suggests that senior high school students are actively engaging with online platforms to share their experiences and perspectives, indicating a strong inclination towards digital communication and feedback. This engagement may reflect their desire for social validation and a collaborative learning environment, as students seek to connect with peers and influence their choices through shared opinions.

This suggests that students are increasingly utilizing digital platforms to articulate their experiences and opinions, which is consistent with findings that highlight the growing trend of adolescents engaging in online communication (Way & Malyini, 2017). The inclination towards sharing feedback online may stem from a desire for social validation, as studies indicate that peer interactions play a significant role in shaping young people’s behaviors and choices by Nesi et al., (2018). Furthermore, the collaborative nature of online environments allows students to connect with one another, fostering a sense of community and collective learning (Luo et al., 2017). However, it is crucial to consider contrasting viewpoints, such as those by Donaldson et al., (2017), who argue that while students may appear engaged, their interactions can often lack depth and critical evaluation, potentially diminishing the authenticity of the feedback shared.

Moreover, it shows that the domain review authenticity obtained a standard deviation of 0.436 and a mean score of 3.31, which is described as very high; that is, review authenticity is always manifested in senior high school students. This suggests that students prioritize genuine and trustworthy feedback when evaluating products or services. The emphasis on authenticity indicates that senior high school students are discerning consumers’ who value real experiences over exaggerated or misleading information. This trend can encourage brands and platforms to maintain transparency and foster trust with their audience, as students are likely to gravitate towards reviews that resonate with their own values and experiences.

This finding suggests that students place a significant emphasis on genuine and trustworthy feedback when assessing products or services. Research supports this notion, indicating that consumers’ increasingly prefer authentic reviews due to their perceived reliability by Filieri, R. (2016). Moreover, studies have shown that young consumers’ are particularly discerning, often prioritizing real experiences over exaggerated or misleading information, which emphasizes the importance of authenticity in marketing (Viloma et al., 2023). This trend encourages brands to maintain transparency and build trust with their audience, as students are likely to engage more with reviews that align with their values and experiences Johnson, N. (2015). However, it is important to consider opposing viewpoints, such as those presented by Roman et al., (2023), who argue that the authenticity of online reviews can sometimes be compromised by promotional tactics, leading to skepticism among consumers’ regarding the veracity of feedback.

This is followed by the domain review volume with a standard deviation of 0.414 and a mean value of 3.29, descriptively interpreted as very high; that is, review volume is always high in senior high school students. This indicates that students are not only willing to share their opinions but also engage with a significant number of reviews from others. A high review volume can enhance the decision-making process for students, as they have access to a broader spectrum of perspectives. This can lead to a more informed choice, showcasing the importance of community input in shaping individual preferences. The high level of engagement in review volume may also highlight the social aspect of online interactions, where students feel a sense of belonging and participation within their peer groups.

This suggests that students are not only eager to express their own opinions but also actively engage with a substantial amount of reviews from their peers. Research shows that a high volume of reviews can significantly enhance the decision-making process by providing a wider array of perspectives, thereby facilitating more informed choices (Ross et al., 2015). Furthermore, the importance of community input in shaping individual preferences is underscored by studies indicating that peer reviews influence consumer behavior, particularly among younger audiences by Moran (2017). Additionally, this high level of engagement in review volume emphasizes the social dimension of online interactions, where students seek a sense of belonging and active participation within their peer groups (Martin & Borup, 2022). Conversely, some research suggests that excessive review volume can lead to cognitive overload, potentially hindering students’ ability to process and evaluate the information effectively which could counter the benefits of increased engagement (Feroz et al., 2022).

Nevertheless, the domain review ratings had a standard deviation value of 0.435 and a mean value of 3.27, which is still described as very high. This may suggest that while students value the quantity and authenticity of reviews, they may be more critical or discerning when it comes to the ratings themselves. It could imply that senior high school students are aware of the subjective nature of ratings and prefer qualitative feedback over numerical scores. A possible suggestion for improvement could be to encourage detailed explanations alongside ratings, allowing students to understand the reasoning behind a particular score.

This suggests that while students appreciate the quantity and authenticity of reviews, they may approach numerical ratings with skepticism, recognizing their subjective nature (Plotkina et al., 2020). Research indicates that young consumers’ often prioritize qualitative feedback over mere numerical scores, as they seek deeper insights into the products or services being evaluated (Chatterjee, S. 2019). Furthermore, studies show that providing detailed explanations alongside ratings can enhance understanding and trust in the feedback process (Sparks et al., 2016). This highlights the importance of encouraging more comprehensive narratives in reviews, allowing students to grasp the reasoning behind specific scores. However, contrasting opinions exist, such as those presented by Hughes et al., (2021), who argue that consumers’ may still place significant weight on numerical ratings despite their subjective nature, potentially overshadowing qualitative insights.

Level of Consumers’ Trust

Presented in Table 2 is the level of consumers’ trust in terms of engagement metrics, consistency, and reviewer’s personal experience.

Table 2. Level of Consumers’ Trust among Senior High School Students

The table reveals that the overall standard deviation of consumer trust is 0.392 with mean value of 3.34, which is described as very high. This means that the consumer trust of senior high school students is always demonstrated. This finding suggests that senior high school students generally place a high value on the opinions and experiences shared by others. This trust likely stems from a combination of factors, including the students’ reliance on peer recommendations, their increasing awareness of online communities, and their desire to make informed decisions.  In essence, senior high school students are more likely to consider the experiences of others when making purchasing decisions, highlighting the growing significance of online reviews and social influence in their consumer behavior.

This is supported by Chung et al., (2021), which suggests that peer recommendations significantly influence the purchasing decisions of adolescents. Moreover, the increasing integration of social media into their daily lives has enhanced their awareness of online communities, further solidifying their trust in collective experiences (Hui et al., 2020). Additionally, studies have shown that young consumers’ often prioritize social influence when making informed decisions, which aligns with the observed behaviors of senior high school students (Johnstone & Lindh, 2018). However, it is essential to consider contrasting perspectives, such as the argument presented by Kozyreva et al., (2020), who asserts that reliance on online reviews can lead to misinformation and a lack of critical evaluation among young consumers’, potentially undermining their decision-making processes.

Furthermore, it shows that the domain reviewer’s personal experience obtained a standard deviation of 0.441 and a mean score of 3.39, which is described as very high; that is, reviewer’s personal experience is always demonstrated in senior high school students. This indicates that students strongly value firsthand accounts and authentic insights from individuals who have actually used or experienced the product or service. This preference for personal experience likely reflects a desire for relatable and genuine information, as students seek to connect with reviewers who share similar perspectives and needs. The emphasis on personal experience suggests that senior high school students are increasingly discerning consumers’ who prioritize authenticity and credibility in their online research.

This aligns with research that posits that consumers’, particularly younger ones, are increasingly drawn to authentic insights, as they perceive them as more relatable and trustworthy (Ardley et al., 2022). Furthermore, studies have shown that personal experiences shared by peers can greatly influence consumer behavior, emphasizing the importance of credibility and relatability in the decision-making process by Sankala, S. (2024). Additionally, the desire for genuine information reflects a broader trend among adolescents who are becoming more discerning in their consumption habits, favoring authenticity over traditional marketing (Park & Hong, 2024). However, it is important to consider opposing viewpoints, such as those presented by Carpenter and Yoon (2015), who argue that personal experiences can sometimes lead to biased opinions, potentially skewing the decision-making process for young consumers’.

This is followed by the domain consistency with a standard deviation of 0.410 and a mean value of 3.34, descriptively interpreted as very high; that is, consistency is always demonstrated in senior high school students. This indicates that students place a high value on reviews that demonstrate a consistent pattern of positive or negative feedback.  They are likely to trust reviews that align with other sources of information or that show a consistent trend over time.  This preference for consistency reflects students’ desire for reliable information and their ability to discern patterns and trends within online reviews.  The emphasis on consistency highlights the importance of comprehensive and objective feedback in building trust and influencing consumer decisions.

This aligns with existing research that suggests consumers’ are more likely to trust reviews that exhibit a coherent pattern of feedback, whether positive or negative (Villaroel et el., 2017). Additionally, studies indicate that the perception of consistency across various reviews enhances the reliability of information, leading to informed decision-making among adolescents (Defoe et al., 2015). The ability of students to recognize and interpret patterns in feedback demonstrates their growing sophistication as consumers’, as they seek out comprehensive and objective assessments that can influence their purchasing choices (Lantos, G. 2015). Conversely, it is essential to acknowledge alternatives to this viewpoint, such as the findings by Kaye, C. (2023), which argue that an overreliance on consistency can lead to confirmation bias, potentially skewing students’ evaluations of products or services based on their pre-existing beliefs.

However, the domain engagement metrics had a standard deviation of 0.440 and a mean value of 3.30, which is still described as very high. This suggests that while consumers’ find the information provided by senior high school students valuable, they may not be actively engaging with it in the same way as they would with other sources. This could be due to factors such as the perceived lack of depth in the information provided by senior high school students or the limited scope of their expertise. With this, it might be helpful to focus on presenting information in a more interactive or engaging format, such as through multimedia. Additionally, encouraging senior high school students to provide more in-depth analysis or insights could further enhance consumer engagement.

This observation is consistent with research that suggests consumers’ often seek more comprehensive and engaging content to facilitate higher levels of interaction (Hollebeek & Macky, 2019). Moreover, a study by Shamim et al., (2024) emphasizes the importance of interactivity and depth in content, noting that consumers’ are more likely to engage with materials that offer rich, immersive experiences. However, contrasting perspectives exist, such as those presented by Boettcher and Conrad (2021), who argue that the mere presence of engaging formats does not guarantee deeper interaction, as individuals may still prefer straightforward information delivery, particularly in educational contexts.

Significance of the Relationship between Online Reviews and Consumers’ Trust

Table 3 presents the relationship between online reviews and consumers’’ trust.

Table 3. Significance on the Relationship between Online Reviews and Consumers’’ Trust among Senior High School Students

Table 3 reveals a strong significant relationship between online reviews and consumers’ trust. The analysis obtained a p-value of 0.000 at a 0.5 level of significance. Thus, the null hypothesis was rejected. The r-value is .724 strong positive correlation. The analysis further reveals that 52.4% of the variance
= 0.524) in the consumers’ trust of senior high school students can be attributed to the online reviews, meaning the consumer trust of senior high school students significantly influences how much they trust to make choices when shopping online.

In comparison, other factors account for the remaining 47.6%. From the results, it is inferred that students would also have high consumers’ trust when online reviews are high. Results observed between online reviews and consumers’ of senior high school students suggest that improving learners shopping choices could significantly enhance in terms of shopping online. This relationship highlights the significance of online reviews and consumers’ trust among senior high school students since it enhances students’ effectiveness in identifying on how they will be empowered to make wise choices.

This finding is supported by Lahoti, Y. (2022), who found that online reviews significantly affect consumer purchasing decisions, particularly in online marketplaces, thereby underscoring the critical role of digital feedback in shaping consumer behavior. Additionally, Zhang and Benyoucef (2016) highlight that online reviews serve as a vital form of social proof, influencing consumer trust and decision-making processes within social commerce, which is particularly relevant for younger demographics like senior high school students. Similarly, Schuckert et al., (2015) illustrate how positive online reviews can enhance consumer confidence, especially in industries like hospitality, where trust is crucial for attracting customers. These insights suggest that improving the quality and visibility of online reviews can empower senior high school students to make informed shopping decisions. However, Dwivede et al., (2016) argue that the impact of online reviews may be overstated, suggesting that traditional advertising and direct peer recommendations might have a more significant influence on consumer trust than online reviews alone.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the conclusions that were drawn from the findings of the study. This section further offers recommendations as to how the findings of this study can improve practice.

This study aimed to determine the extent of online reviews on consumers’ trust among senior high school students of Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School. Specifically, this sought to determine if a relationship exists between online reviews on consumers’ trust among senior high school students of Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School.

This study utilized the descriptive-correlational design to determine the extent of online reviews on consumers’ trust and if they are significantly related. The respondents of this study were three hundred (300) senior high school students of Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School in Davao City using a simple random sampling. The researchers used modified-adapted survey questionnaires to collect the necessary information, and the indicators of dependent variable were adapted from the study of Online Shopping: E-Service Quality and Customers’ Trust among Accountancy, Business, and Management Students of Tacurong National High School. Data collection involved strict compliance of ethical considerations. Mean and Pearson’s r were used to analyze the data that had been collected.

The results of the analysis revealed the following:

The extent of the online reviews among senior high school students in Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School is highly manifested. This implies that the online reviews of senior high school students in Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School is always demonstrated.

The extent of the consumers’’ trust of senior high school students in Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School is highly manifested. This implies that the consumers’’ trust of senior high school students in Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School is always demonstrated.

The result also shows that there is a significant positive relationship between the online reviews and consumers’ trust among senior high school students in Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School. Additionally, the degree of the relationship is very high. This means that the online reviews of senior high school students in Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School is always observed, they would have very high consumers’ trust.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions are drawn by the researchers:

Senior high school students in Carlos P. Garcia Senior High School are active participants in online communities and readily share their opinions, demonstrating a very high level of engagement with online reviews. This finding is evident in the high mean scores across all aspects of online reviews, including ratings, volume, and authenticity.

While students generally exhibit a very high level of trust in online reviews, this trust is not uniformly distributed across all review characteristics. While students place a high value on engagement metrics, consistency, and reviewer’s personal experience, further analysis is needed to understand how these factors interact to shape trust. The study found that a degree of critical evaluation is necessary to avoid being swayed by misleading or manipulative content.

The relationship between online review volume and consumer trust is more complex than initially suggested. While high review volume can indicate trustworthiness, it does not always directly correlate with higher trust levels. This suggests that students are capable of critical evaluation and consider multiple factors beyond review quantity when assessing the credibility of online information. This highlights the importance of developing media literacy skills and fostering critical thinking among students.

Moreover, students with high digital literacy skills are more discerning in their evaluation of online reviews, leading to more informed consumer choices and a more nuanced understanding of online information. However, the study emphasizes that even students with strong digital literacy skills can be susceptible to misleading or manipulated content. This reinforces the need for ongoing education and awareness initiatives related to online reviews and information evaluation.

Recommendations

Based on the study’s conclusions, the following recommendations are proposed:

Educational institutions should integrate media literacy and critical thinking skills into senior high school curricula, particularly in subjects such as Media and Information Literacy and Consumer Education. This integration should involve interactive activities, case studies, and real-world applications that teach students how to critically evaluate online reviews, identify biases, verify sources, and distinguish credible information from misleading content.

Additionally, schools should leverage digital platforms and interactive tools to enhance student engagement in topics related to digital citizenship, information verification, and ethical online behavior. This can include gamified learning experiences, discussion forums, and fact-checking exercises that simulate real-world decision-making scenarios. Schools can also collaborate with local libraries and community organizations to offer workshops and resources that strengthen digital literacy skills among students and their families.

Furthermore, educational programs should emphasize the ethical implications of online reviews by promoting honest and responsible feedback practices. This can be achieved through peer-to-peer learning initiatives, student-led awareness campaigns, and partnerships with social media platforms to advocate for ethical review practices. Schools should also explore collaborations with e-commerce and online review platforms to develop joint educational initiatives that promote transparency and accountability in online consumer behavior. These partnerships could include review verification processes, student ambassador programs for responsible online engagement, and research collaborations on digital trust and misinformation prevention.

By implementing these strategies, students will be better equipped to navigate online reviews responsibly, make informed purchasing decisions, and develop essential critical thinking skills in the digital marketplace.

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APPENDIX

Survey Questionnaire

The Influence of Online Reviews on Consumers’ Trust among Senior High School Students

General Instruction: Please accomplish this questionnaire and do not leave any item unanswered. Rest assured that any information you have shared will be kept confidential.

PART 1. ONLINE REVIEWS

Instruction: Check ( / ) the corresponding degree of each statement about the Online Reviews in terms of Review Ratings, Review Volume, and Review Authenticity. Each item is measured in four levels, these are the following:

PART 2. CONSUMERS’ TRUST

Instruction: Check ( / ) the corresponding degree of each statement about the Consumers’ Trust in terms of Engagement Metrics, Consistency, and Reviewer’s Personal Experience. Each item is measured in four levels, these are the following:

APPENDIX

List of Tables

Table 1.1 Level of Online Reviews in terms of Review Ratings among

Senior High School Students

Table 1.2 Level of Online Reviews in terms of Review Volume among

Senior High School Students

Table 1.3 Level of Online Reviews in terms of Review Authenticity among

Senior High School Students

Table 2.1 Level of Consumers’ Trust in terms of Engagement Metrics among Senior High School Students

Table 2.2 Level of Consumers’ Trust in terms of Consistency among Senior High School Students

Table 2.3 Level of Consumers’ Trust in terms of Reviewer’s Personal Experience among Senior High School Students