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The Impact of Temporal Distance on Online Ratings: Unveiling the Dynamics of Tourists’ Memory Bias

zihan WEI et al.

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research2026https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480251415550article
AJG 2ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

We investigate a novel bias in online rating systems, “memory bias,” arising from the temporal gap between consumption and review publication. Through an analysis of 753,806 hotel reviews and a randomized experiment, we find: (1) Memory bias has a greater spillover effect on perceived performance than on expectations, boosting ratings. (2) The marginal influence of memory bias on online reviews demonstrates a U-shaped relationship with time. (3) Over time, the variability in memory bias gradually diminishes. (4) Memory bias in online reviews arises from individuals accessing different types of knowledge over time, mediated by the level of concreteness in the accessed information. These insights deepen our understanding of memory bias and provide valuable implications for stakeholders in tourism and hospitality.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480251415550

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@article{zihan2026,
  title        = {{The Impact of Temporal Distance on Online Ratings: Unveiling the Dynamics of Tourists’ Memory Bias}},
  author       = {zihan WEI et al.},
  journal      = {Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480251415550},
}

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The Impact of Temporal Distance on Online Ratings: Unveiling the Dynamics of Tourists’ Memory Bias

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.