Who Distinguishes Between Sinners and Sins at the Implicit Level of Awareness?
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Amy L. Daniels; Jay L. Wenger
- Source
- The Journal of Social Psychology. 146:657-669
- Subject
- Adult
Male
Consciousness
Social Psychology
Social perception
Word Association Tests
Implicit-association test
Awareness
Task (project management)
Religion
Religiosity
Attitude
Social Perception
Surveys and Questionnaires
Cognitive level
Humans
Female
Implicit attitude
Social Behavior
Psychology
Social psychology
- Language
- ISSN
- 1940-1183
0022-4545
Several researchers have investigated the possibility that people indeed can love individuals who are engaged in behaviors that are considered unacceptable. In the present research, the authors evaluated the possibility that people distinguish between presumably sinful persons and presumably sinful behaviors at a cognitive level that does not involve conscious intent and awareness: the implicit (nonconscious) level of awareness. Participants performed a speeded-response task, the Implicit Association Test. Results indicated that participants were able to make such a (person vs. behavior) distinction and that in doing so, they manifested positive implicit evaluations of sinful people relative to sinful actions.