How can the format of JSON data affect the way it is accessed in PHP?

The format of JSON data can affect the way it is accessed in PHP if the data is not properly decoded before trying to access its elements. To solve this issue, you need to use the `json_decode()` function in PHP to convert the JSON data into a PHP array or object that can be easily accessed.

// Example JSON data
$jsonData = '{"name": "John", "age": 30}';

// Decode the JSON data
$data = json_decode($jsonData);

// Access elements in the decoded data
echo $data->name; // Output: John
echo $data->age; // Output: 30