In Lepper's study, the group that resisted cheating more during the second experiment involving a bowling game was the group under the mild threat of punishment. So, the correct answer would be C. Mild threat.
In Lepper's (1973) study, the group that resisted cheating more during the second experiment involving a bowling game was Group A, the control group that experienced no threat of punishment.
The study suggested that the imposition of mild or severe threats of punishment in the initial phase, where children refrained from playing with an attractive toy, led to a subsequent increase in cheating behavior in the second phase, even when the threat was removed.
The control group, having not experienced any threat of punishment, displayed less inclination towards cheating compared to the groups subjected to mild or severe threats.
This indicates that the absence of threat or punishment initially resulted in a higher level of integrity and lesser inclination towards deceptive behavior during the subsequent task.