Final answer:
The control group in a study on stereotypes and athletes would be a group that does not encompass athletes, hence not subject to the stereotypes being investigated. It would typically be composed of non-athletes, and the specific gender would depend on the study's focus.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of a study surrounding stereotypes and athletes, the control group would be the group that does not receive the treatment or condition that the experimental group does. Assuming that this particular study was examining the impact of stereotypes on athletes, the control group is likely to be those individuals who are not athletes and hence not subject to the athletic-based stereotypes that the study aims to investigate.
Without specific details about the study, it's challenging to determine which specific group served as the control group. However, based on the principle that the control group must be identical to the test group except for the independent variable (in this case, being subject to athletic stereotypes), the control group might be composed of non-athletes. Therefore, either (c) male non-athletes or (d) female non-athletes could potentially serve as the control depending on the gender-focused hypothesis of the study.