August 27, 2025
Why Do Solo Consumer Reviews Hold More Weight Than Group Experiences?
When it comes to consumer reviews of leisure activities, the most persuasive voices come from individuals. New research from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and Oklahoma State University reveals that reviews written by people who experience an activity alone carry more influence than those written by accompanied visitors.
The study, published in the Journal of Marketing Research, finds that solo consumers are perceived as more focused, credible, and knowledgeable about the activity itself. Rebecca Ratner, Dean’s Professor of Marketing at UMD, who spent more than a decade studying consumer behaviour around solo activities, found that both online behaviour and controlled lab experiments point to the same conclusion: people take a solo reviewer’s word more seriously.
Why Solo Voices Stand Out
Analysing Tripadvisor reviews, Ratner and Yuechen Wu of Oklahoma State examined how users responded to reviews where authors noted whether they visited alone, with friends, or with family.
Reviews written by solo visitors consistently received more positive engagement, such as “likes,” than those written by accompanied guests. The researchers confirmed the effect in lab settings, where participants evaluated the credibility of solo versus group reviewers.
The reasoning behind it is that people are more focused when they are alone. When someone goes to the zoo or an art exhibit alone, others assume they are genuinely interested in the experience and paying close attention.
In contrast, when someone attends with company, people suspect that socialising — rather than the activity itself — might have influenced their impression. This perception holds true for both positive and negative reviews, meaning solo reviewers influence others more strongly whether they recommend an activity or warn against it.
What This Means for CX
Word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful drivers of consumer decision-making, and solo patrons may be the most valuable advocates. Encouraging these individuals to share their experiences and ensuring they feel recognised and supported could amplify the credibility of reviews and strengthen brand reputation.
As Ratner notes, businesses often focus on families, couples, or groups, but solo consumers deserve attention. “Don’t neglect your solo patrons and customers,” she says. “What they say actually is going to carry a lot of weight.”
