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It is commonly assumed in politics that people fall into one camp or the other. For example, during the United States' Presidential elections, most people are assumed to be either Republicans or Democrats; the only people who may waver are the 10 percent of undecided voters. However, according to a recent study, most people are not as ideological as pollsters, politicians and even they might think. A simple "magic trick" found that conservatives could transform into liberals, or vice versa, by using a simple principle called "choice blindness".

According to Nature, the study, performed by researchers from Lund University in Sweden, was performed on the streets of two Swedish cities, Malmö and Lund. During the last few weeks leading up to the election in 2010, the researchers surveyed 162 voters. First, the researchers asked them which of the two prominent parties, conservative or social democrat, the voters intended to cast their ballot for. Researchers then asked the voters how strongly they felt about their choice. Then the voters were asked how they felt about 12 divisive issues, including nuclear power and tax rates.

As the respondents answered, the pollster filled out another ballot containing the exact opposite answers as the survey taker responded. Then the pollster managed to switch the ballots. Afterwards, the pollster asked the respondent to explain why they had answered the way that they had. Now, the respondent was defending, in essence, the opposite side's views.

Interestingly, 92 percent of the survey respondents did not notice that the answers had been switched. In fact, based the study, nearly half - 47 percent - of voters were open to being swayed.

"It's a dramatic demonstration of the potential flexibility that is there," study author Lars Hall said to Nature. "Unfortunately I don't know how to tap into that flexibility without the magic trick. If I did I wouldn't be talking to you. I'd be selling my secret to Hillary Clinton or [the Republican governor of New Jersey] Chris Christie. Or both."

Some researchers are skeptical of the study's findings, however. Many of the people involved in the study may have returned home and cemented their original ideology.

The study was published in PLoS One.