Measuring Self-Censorship in Chinese Surveys Through List Experiments – Distributive Justice and Pro-Regime Conformity Bias

Previous research shows high levels of self-censorship of regime support and trust in the state in China. However, for sensitive questions not directed towards the government or the regime, self-censorship might be less relevant. To test this assumption, four list experiments on perceptions of fairness and distribution of resources in urban and rural areas were conducted in a large-scale online survey in China. The findings show that entitlement and equity are less prone to self-censorship, whereas the two statements directly related to the central government's narrative of fairness and redistribution between urban and rural areas, equality and need, display high levels of self-censorship. The results suggest the presence of a pro-regime conformity bias, indicating that citizens are more likely to self-censor when survey items align with the Party's official discourse. This reflects a distinctive form of social desirability bias in authoritarian regimes.