Which term describes the act of making judgments based on group membership?

• A. Collusion
• B. Bias
• C. Discrimination
• D. Perception

Answer: (C)

Discrimination is the act of making judgments and treating people differently based on group membership. It involves applying biases to real decisions or policies that affect someone because of their race, gender, religion, or other group traits, rather than evaluating them as individuals. Bias refers to a tendency or attitude that can influence judgments, but it isn’t necessarily the actual action taken. Perception is how we interpret information, not specifically about judging people by group. Collusion is secret cooperation for wrongdoing, unrelated to judging others by group traits. For example, denying a qualified candidate a job because of their ethnicity demonstrates discrimination, since the decision rests on group membership rather than individual qualifications.