Before the ink dries? Creators misjudge idea thieves' preferences for early‐stage ideas

Abstract In the knowledge‐based economy, creative ideas are becoming increasingly valuable. However, creators often encounter the threat of idea theft, which can discourage them from sharing their ideas and receiving vital feedback. This article explores the psychology behind creators' attempts to strategically manage idea sharing. Across three studies, we find that creators mispredict the preferences of idea thieves, such that idea thieves prefer to steal ideas in earlier stages of development than creators expect. We find this difference is driven by creators' tendency to underestimate how much idea thieves attend to moral concerns while deciding when to steal an idea. Further, we show that these mispredictions are consequential because they influence the stage at which creators choose to share their ideas for feedback.