title: Who distinguishes between sinners and sins at the implicit level of awareness?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Sciences, HACC: Central Pennsylvania's Community College, Lancaster Campus, 1641 Old Philadelphia Pike, Lancaster PA 17602, USA. jlwenger@hacc.edu
authors.forename: Jay L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wenger
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Daniels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D001364:Awareness; D003243:Consciousness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012067:Religion; D012919:Social Behavior; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014936:Word Association Tests