Cues or Content? Examining the Moderating Role of Crowdfunder Experience

Crowdfunders face information asymmetry problems when making funding decisions. How crowdfunders overcome this problem has become a centerpiece of crowdfunding research. We examine how crowdfunder experience might affect crowdfunder reliance on various types of information provided on the crowdfunding page. Drawing on the Elaboration Likelihood Model, we find that experienced crowdfunders are more likely to pay attention to the content of the information, whereas less experienced crowdfunders are more likely to pay attention to simple cues. Our study highlights the important role of crowdfunder experience in crowdfunding research. We also discuss the implications of this study for various participants of the crowdfunding platform