Valuing Equal Protection in Aviation Security Screening.

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Behavioral Economics
• Public Policy

Background:

• Growing anti-terrorism policies raise public concerns about discrimination.
• Airport security screening is a key area where equal protection principles are tested.
• Understanding traveler preferences for fairness in security is crucial for policy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the "equity premium" American travelers are willing to pay to avoid discriminatory airport screening.
• To explore how procedural justice influences the value placed on equal protection.
• To assess the impact of different selective screening methods on equity concerns.

Main Methods:

• Experimental design with 222 respondents randomly assigned to one of three selective screening procedures: random, behavioral indicators, or demographic characteristics.
• Respondents chose between airlines with equal versus discriminatory screening.
• Equity premiums measured via monetary cost, wait time, convenience, and safety compromise.

Main Results:

• Significant variation in equity premiums across individuals; some willing to pay little, others willing to pay anything to avoid discrimination.
• Selective screening based on demographic characteristics elicited higher equity premiums compared to random or behavioral indicator-based screening.
• The manipulation of selective screening procedures was effective in influencing equity premium values.

Conclusions:

• Public willingness to sacrifice for equitable airport screening varies significantly.
• Screening procedures perceived as discriminatory, especially those based on demographics, increase the perceived cost of inequity.
• Findings inform the design of airport security policies to balance security needs with principles of equal protection and procedural justice.