Which term describes applying an oversimplified belief about a group to all its members?

Which term describes applying an oversimplified belief about a group to all its members?

• A. Discrimination
• B. Ethnicity
• C. Race
• D. Stereotyping

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is stereotyping: applying an oversimplified belief about a group to all its members. Stereotypes are mental shortcuts that assign a uniform set of traits to everyone in a group, even when individuals differ. This ignores variability and can shape how we think about and interact with people. Discrimination is about acting on beliefs and treating people unfairly because of their group, while ethnicity and race describe group identities, not the act of generalizing. For example, assuming every member of a group shares the same characteristic is stereotyping.

The idea being tested is stereotyping: applying an oversimplified belief about a group to all its members. Stereotypes are mental shortcuts that assign a uniform set of traits to everyone in a group, even when individuals differ. This ignores variability and can shape how we think about and interact with people. Discrimination is about acting on beliefs and treating people unfairly because of their group, while ethnicity and race describe group identities, not the act of generalizing. For example, assuming every member of a group shares the same characteristic is stereotyping.