Recently, Valve made a change to the way user reviews of games sold on Steam (Valve's PC platform) function. Originally, users could review the game whether it was purchased through Steam directly or accessed by a "Steam key" or third party.
Both types of users can still review the game; however, now only reviews of those who purchased through Steam will be accounted for in the overall user review, which is the average user review displayed near the game's name and price. Reportedly, Valve's motivation was the rendering of a more accurate review score that benefits the user rather than the publisher. This motivation is based on allegations that publishers were granting Steam keys to individuals on the condition that those individuals give a positive user review score.
Despite the fact that Valve's motivation has been explicitly stated, there is still some confusion regarding their motivations. DLC, a weekly podcast that I frequent, tried to piece out some of the confusion involved in the sudden change. The questions they were asking, in turn, prompted my own questioning: "If Valve removes user reviews from those who got the game ostensibly free, doesn't this cause user reviews to drop? and if so, is Valve that amiable?"
I would argue, whether or not the change originated in an attempt to defend the user from unsanctioned publisher promotion, Valve benefits from this change.
For my argument to hold true, there must be a reason that confirmed purchasers of the game are more likely to review the game in a positive light. Simply put, more positive reviews should encourage more sales on Valve's platform. Therefore, Valve only benefits from this change if it generates more positive reviews. DLC argues that the positive feelings attributed to receiving a product for free should make an individual more inclined to give a positive review.
While this argument seems logical, it isn't supported by psychology. Valve is benefiting from a common human response to cognitive dissonance, called the choice-supportive bias.
Buyer's remorse, which arguably would produce negative Steam reviews, is a form of cognitive dissonance: two competing ideas existing simultaneously in one mind. Choice-supportive bias is a response to that dissonance. Remorse is uncomfortable, as are any negative feelings. Choice-supportive bias is the condition in which remorse is avoided by over-inflation of one's own, typically meager, positive feelings. In this case, psychological theory would argue that those who have actively chosen the game (i.e. purchased directly through Steam) are likely to rate it positively whether they enjoyed it or not, as an attempt of justifying their choice and avoid remorse. This should inflate user reviews on Steam.
Valve may be attempting to protect the consumer from publisher inflation, but it is not prioritizing accuracy of user reviews in the process. If anything, it is encouraging inflation of user reviews through different, and arguably more effective, means.
