Revealing the Preference Falsification in Russia

Abstract In this study, the authors investigate the phenomenon of the influence of preference falsification in sociological surveys on socially controversial topics in the context of illiberal states. Based on the classical theories of individuals hiding their true views under the influence of public discourse and state policy, the authors test the hypothesis that in Russia the phenomenon of preference falsification affects the responses of citizens, forcing them to postulate more conservative values than those what they really profess. To confirm this hypothesis, the authors replicate the in-person World Values Survey with an online survey conducted via crowdsourcing and compare the results. The clarification of the obtained data is carried out using the Implicit Associative Test. The authors find correlated and predictable differences between results obtained online and those found in the WVS survey, which suggests that preference falsification strongly affects results of field sociological surveys and this effect is absent in surveys conducted online.