Guidelines for Shaping Perceptions of Fairness of Transportation Infrastructure Policies: The Case of a Vehicle Mileage Tax

Abstract

Abstract Regulatory focus theory is used to study individuals' perceptions of fairness towards a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)-based transportation funding policy. According to regulatory focus theory, messages are more effective when they are congruent with the goal framing promotion (gains) or prevention (loss avoidance) focus of the recipients (i.e., there is a regulatory fit). This study confirms an interaction effect when the information in a message is congruent with the regulatory orientation of the individual. In addition, we find that the sensitivity towards fairness is more pronounced when subjects exhibit a prevention fit than when they exhibit a promotion fit. Our findings emphasize the importance of regulatory focus as it concerns public perceptions of potential transportation funding policy and provide useful guidelines for related outreach messaging strategies for influencing them.