ArticlePloS one2026
The magic of first impressions: Do facial displays on online platforms affect users' offline conversion rate?
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
With the rise of Internet health, online medical platforms play the key role of information bridge and convenient channel in medical service selection. Users tend to rely on doctor images and electronic word-of-mouth evaluations displayed on online medical platforms when selecting medical services. This study aims to explore the impact of facial features displayed on online platforms on users' offline conversion rate. It will help us understand the psychological mechanism behind users' decisions from the perspective of the first impression effect. Python was used to collect pictures and information of 7547 doctors from "haodf.com", a well-known online medical platform in China. Then, we used commercial software to calculate their facial feature values. The results showed that: Appearance attractiveness, smile, and gender of facial displays on online platforms have a significant positive relationship on users' offline conversion rate. Satisfaction evaluations do not significantly regulate the relationship between appearance attractiveness and smile on users' offline conversion rate, but have a significant negative moderating effect on the effect of gender. This study emphasizes the importance of the eWOM platform in image management. It also provides a new perspective for optimizing resource allocation and improving service efficiency. It has important theoretical and practical value for further promoting the innovation of online service systems and realizing the seamless connection between online and offline.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.