A new study from the University of California, Berkeley, has found that people's stated support for democracy depends on how they are asked. The study, published in the journal Political Psychology, found that people who were asked about their support for democracy in an online survey were more likely to express support than those who were asked the same question in a face-to-face interview.

The researchers believe that this difference is due to the fact that people are more likely to give socially desirable answers when they are not face-to-face with the person asking the question. In other words, people are more likely to say what they think the interviewer wants to hear when they are not in a situation where they feel they can be judged for their answers.

The researchers also found that the difference in stated support for democracy between online and face-to-face surveys was more pronounced for people who were less educated and less politically knowledgeable. This suggests that people who are less informed about politics are more likely to be influenced by social desirability bias.

The findings of this study have implications for understanding public opinion and support for democracy. It is important to be aware that people's stated support for democracy may not be an accurate reflection of their true beliefs. This is especially true for people who are less educated and less politically knowledgeable.

The researchers recommend that future studies on public opinion should use a variety of methods to collect data, including both online and face-to-face surveys. This will help to ensure that the results of these studies are accurate and representative of the population.