A randomized control trial comparing the effects of procedural justice to experienced utility theories in airport security stops

• In Event: Police and Procedural Justice

Abstract

Measures to deal with terrorism threats remain controversial in England and Wales, with some suggesting that such interventions erode the legitimacy of the police, especially in minority communities. Yet there is little rigorous scientific evidence in this field. We present the results of a multisite randomized field trial in international airports that compared the effects of Tom Tyler’s procedural justice approach with Daniel Kahneman’s experienced utility theory, on suspects’ willingness to cooperate with the police against terrorism following these interventions. Nearly 800 passengers who were screened for such threats over a period of 6 months were randomly assigned to either procedural-justice checklist or experienced utility interventions. Telephone surveys were subsequently used to measure a variety of dimensions (52% response rate). Our findings suggest that, within the specific context of airport security, procedural justice is a more effective mechanism than experienced utility in promoting cooperation against terrorism. Our findings further suggest that overall passenger assessments of terrorism policing is dramatically more positive than what is often construed by the popular press, especially with member of minority communities.

Authors

• Brandon Robert Langley, University of Cambridge

• Barak Ariel, Cambridge University / Hebrew University

• Justice Tankebe, University of Cambridge

• Badi Hasisi, Hebrew University