How Online Rankings Shape Purchase Intentions: ERP Evidence from Mobile Shopping

In recent years, numerous mobile platforms have introduced product ranking systems to guide consumer choices. Yet, how such rankings shape purchasing decisions remains insufficiently understood. This paper employed an event-related potential (ERP) experiment to capture the neurophysiological responses of consumers during mobile shopping, thereby uncovering the psychological processes and neural mechanisms underlying the influence of online rankings. Our findings reveal that consumers in mobile shopping environments are equally susceptible to information cascades. When product rankings were presented as decision aids, despite limited cognitive resources, low-ranking cues elicited high attentional engagement, as indicated by a higher P2 amplitude. Subsequently, ranking cues appeared to be associated with evaluative processing, as reflected in P3 amplitude differences. These neural and behavioral patterns reflect the avoidance tendencies toward low-ranking products and relatively greater trust-related evaluation of higher-ranked products, ultimately shaping purchase intentions. This study provides cognitive neuroscience evidence for how online rankings modulate mobile consumers’ decision-making.