Why Do Public Opinion Results Differ When Questions Concerning Affirmative

Why do public opinion results differ when questions concerning affirmative action are referred to in terms of "preferential treatment" rather than "affirmative action to overcome past discrimination"?

A) The former casts a positive connotation, whereas the latter is somewhat more negative.
B) The former casts a negative connotation, whereas the latter is somewhat more positive.
C) Results would differ because there is no way to adequately measure public opinion.
D) The results would not differ because everyone understands the concept of affirmative action in the same way.