Work

The shadow of social desirability bias: evidence from reassessing the sources of political trust in China

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Recent scholarship has emphasized methodological innovations to mitigate preference falsification in public opinion data, yet systematic scrutiny of bias in regression analyses remains limited. Drawing on analyses of political trust in China, we offer three key insights. First, determining the direction of social desirability bias in regression estimates—whether over- or underestimation—is challenging ex ante . Second, analyses of two nationally representative Chinese surveys, one incorporating a list experiment, cast doubt on the purported positive effect of social welfare expansion on political trust. Extending beyond social welfare and the Chinese case, we find similar biases when regressions rely on direct questions. Third, we show that certain identification strategies can partially mitigate regression bias when direct questions are unavoidable.

Source: Political Science Research and Methods

DOI: 10.1017/psrm.2025.10080

Authors: Ding Li, Xiaobo Lü, Shuang Ma, Wenhui Yang

Institutions: Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Guangzhou University, Peking University

Language: English

Topic: Survey Methodology and Nonresponse

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,550