A 4.4 star product outsells a 5.0 star product. Northwestern analyzed ratings across 40+ categories and found purchase likelihood peaks between 4.2 and 4.5 stars, then actually drops as a rating climbs toward a perfect score. Because a perfect score reads as fake. Five-star reviews are the cheapest thing in commerce to manufacture, so a wall of them carries almost no signal. 82% of shoppers specifically seek out the negative reviews before buying. And they're right to. A good review tells…