Prejudice is a preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience. It is an attitude, not an action. A person can be prejudiced without discriminating. But prejudice often leads to discrimination. The two are linked but distinct.

Prejudice can be explicit or implicit. Explicit prejudice is conscious and openly expressed. Implicit prejudice operates below awareness and can influence behavior without the person realizing it. Implicit bias tests show that many people hold unconscious associations even when they reject prejudice consciously.

Sources of prejudice

• Socialization: learned from family, peers, media
• Group competition: threat to resources or status
• Cognitive shortcuts: generalization and stereotyping
• Historical trauma and intergroup conflict

Prejudice is not limited to race. It targets gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, and more. Reducing it requires more than education. Contact, institutional change, and laws that prohibit discrimination all play a role. But attitudes can be stubborn.