In one study,white participants were faster to identify a weapon as a weapon when it was preceded by a picture of an African-American face as opposed to a white face.Subsequent research suggests that this effect is due to
A) a stereotypical association between handguns and African-Americans.
B) generally negative attitudes toward African-Americans.
C) controlled processing of information about African-Americans.
D) motivated inattention to stereotype-inconsistent information.

Question

In one study,white participants were faster to identify a weapon as a weapon when it was preceded by a picture of an African-American face as opposed to a white face.Subsequent research suggests that this effect is due to 
A) a stereotypical association between handguns and African-Americans.
B) generally negative attitudes toward African-Americans.
C) controlled processing of information about African-Americans.
D) motivated inattention to stereotype-inconsistent information.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This effect is likely due to a stereotypical association between handguns and African-Americans. This means that people may have a preconceived notion that African-Americans are more likely to be involved in violence or criminal activity, which leads them to be more likely to associate weapons with African-American faces.

In One Study,white Participants Were Faster to Identify a Weapon