Low levels of trust have been reported across public institutions for years, and urban planning is no exception. The broad consensus in planning trust literature is an ongoing crisis of public trust in the planning system. While trust is recognised as a multidimensional concept involving both rational and affective components, planning literature to-date has failed to explicitly explore the relationship between emotional and rational cognitive drivers of trust in planning. A review of trust literature in allied fields reveals that dual-process theories of cognition are a promising avenue for addressing the gaps noted above.

Dual-process models suggest that human cognition operates through two systems: System 1, which is fast, intuitive, and automatic, and System 2, which is slow, deliberate, and analytical. Each of the two cognitive systems can influence the other, with intuitive perceptions informing deliberate perceptions, and deliberate cognition revising intuitive associations. As urban planning often involves emotionally charged decisions with high stakes for communities, dual-process theory provides a framework for understanding how public trust in planning systems is formed and maintained.

The present study (in progress) utilises a dual-process lens to investigate the cognitive mechanisms of public trust in the planning system. A mixed methods approach has been applied, inclusive of an Implicit Association Test (IAT). IATs are designed to surface automatic associations and implicit attitudes about the topic in question, in this case, the trustworthiness of the planning system. When analysed and interpreted alongside results of an Explicit Association Test (EAT), this approach can help provide insights on the cognitive processes underlying trust formation. This paper will present the development processes of the IAT, a novel method for studying public trust in planning systems. Key preliminary findings and trends will also be presented.