But there are several reasons to think Duster might be wrong. Perhaps media reports about race, health, and genetics are not actually as common as they seem to observers who fear negative social effects of modern genetic research. Perhaps these media reports are common but do not alter public beliefs about more essential racial differences. Finally, research suggests that the public is more inclined to attribute physical and health-related characteristics to genetic factors than outcomes such as talent and success in life (Condit et al. 2004; Jayaratne et al. 2009; Parrott et al. 2005; Singer, Corning, and Lamias 1998); this may limit the extent to which messages about racial differences related to genetics and health will generalize to more general racial differences.
