African Americans dominate in basketball, football, and track and field because of

• A. A higher proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers
• B. Less body fat, longer arms, and slimmer hips
• C. Cultural influence and opportunity
• D. Coolness under pressure

Answer: (B)

This item tests how explanations for athletic success can be tied to physical traits versus social factors. The chosen option points to concrete body characteristics—less body fat, longer arms, and slimmer hips—that are often argued to give advantages in sports like basketball, football, and track. Longer arms can improve reach and ball control, a leaner physique can boost speed and agility, and lower body fat can enhance power-to-weight performance. In that sense, these observable morphological traits are presented as a direct factor in performance, which is why this choice is considered the best among the options. At the same time, it’s important to recognize that in sociology of sport, culture, opportunity, training quality, and systemic supports explain much of real-world patterns of participation and success, so biological explanations are only part of a larger picture. The other choices either describe factors that are less directly linked to performance or rely on a less plausible attribute (like temperament under pressure) as a primary determinant.