Which term refers to false ideas that all members of a group share identical traits?

Which term refers to false ideas that all members of a group share identical traits?

• A. Prejudice
• B. Stereotype
• C. Bias
• D. Generalization

Answer: (B)

A stereotype is a belief that all members of a group share the same traits, often false or oversimplified. It arises when we generalize from some examples to the entire group, ignoring the real variation among individuals. This makes it different from prejudice, which is an attitude or feeling toward the group; bias, a broader predisposition that colors judgment; and generalization, a broader claim that can be based on observation but isn’t inherently false or about everyone in the group. The idea of uniformity across diverse people is what ties the description to a stereotype.

A stereotype is a belief that all members of a group share the same traits, often false or oversimplified. It arises when we generalize from some examples to the entire group, ignoring the real variation among individuals. This makes it different from prejudice, which is an attitude or feeling toward the group; bias, a broader predisposition that colors judgment; and generalization, a broader claim that can be based on observation but isn’t inherently false or about everyone in the group. The idea of uniformity across diverse people is what ties the description to a stereotype.