Which term refers to the process by which our personal experiences shape how we interpret events until evidence proves otherwise?

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

Answer: (C)

Perception is the process by which our past experiences color how we interpret what happens around us. When something occurs, the brain quickly filters it through memories, beliefs, and expectations, shaping the meaning we assign to it. That interpretation can stay in place until new evidence arrives that contradicts it, at which point our understanding can shift. This is why two people can view the same event differently based on their different experiences. The other terms don’t capture the ongoing interpretive process as directly: bias is more about a predisposition that skews judgments over time, assumptions are beliefs taken as true without proof, and discrimination is acting on prejudices.