Aviation Consumers’ Trust in Pilots: A Cognitive or Emotional Function

Previous research has shown that stigmas play an important role in trust. While previous research has focused on trust in individuals with stigmas in various settings, no research that we know of has specifically looked at trust in pilots as a function of their stigmas, and what might mediate those effects. In two studies, we asked Indian participants to rate their trust in pilots as a function of gender, age, weight and ethnicity. The results of the first study indicated that Indians trusted female pilots less than male pilots, older pilots less than younger pilots, obese pilots less than slim pilots, and Arab pilots less than Indian pilots. The second study replicated these findings and revealed that Affect plays a dominant mediating role between each condition and trust.