Simplified answer:
According to research on controlled and automatic processing, non-prejudiced people who consciously dispute cultural stereotypes about race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation often do initially have automatic attributions or reactions that are consistent with those stereotypes. However, the non-prejudiced person also feels discomfort or guilt when recognizing these automatic thoughts and do not act on them. All humans experience discomfort and guilt when they have automatic, biased reactions. This discomfort then motivates all people to work deliberately to counter their automatic reactions, and eventually to overcome them, which prevents prejudice from occurring.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to research on controlled and automatic processing, non-prejudiced people who consciously dispute cultural stereotypes about race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation often do initially have automatic attributions or reactions that are consistent with those stereotypes. However, the non-prejudiced person also feels discomfort or guilt when recognizing these automatic thoughts and do not act on them. All humans experience discomfort and guilt when they have automatic, biased reactions. This discomfort then motivates all people to work deliberately to counter their automatic reactions, and eventually to overcome them, which prevents prejudice from occurring. Therefore, the correct answer is (a).