(Nassir et al. 2009; Risch et al. 2002). Although we are concerned about the effects of such messages, we are less concerned than we are about the backdoor effects we focused on here. The Race-as-Genetic-Reality Vignette—like Hernstein and Murray’s (1994) arguments about race, genetics, and IQ—operates through the front door. The message of essential racial differences is clear to see, and scholars are already well aware of these messages’ possibly harmful effects (Nelson 2008). The message of essential racial differences in the Backdoor Vignette is not at all clear to see, yet its effect on belief in these differences is nearly identical to that of the Race-as-Genetic-Reality Vignette. Similarly, Condit and colleagues (2004) found that mentioning a specific race-related genetic difference in a health outcome was enough to heighten several measures of racism. Two other studies (Keller 2005; Lynch et al. 2008) found that exposure to messages emphasizing the importance of genetics with no mention of race increased, respectively, racial stereotypes and belief in genetic determination of racial differences. Along with our findings and Condit and colleagues’ (2004), these studies illustrate just how small a dose of genetics it takes to affect racial attitudes and how unexpected these effects can
