The term for labeling that affects perception and creates prejudice is ______.

• A. Norms
• B. Roles
• C. Labels
• D. Values

Answer: (C)

Labels refer to the process by which society attaches a name or category to a person or group, and those labels influence how others perceive them and how they are treated. This can breed prejudice because the labeled traits carry assumptions that people use to judge the individual, leading to stereotypes, biased treatment, and social stigma. The label can also affect the individual's own self-concept, which may reinforce the behavior associated with the label—creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Norms are expectations for behavior, roles are the positions with associated duties, and values are beliefs about what is desirable; none of these specifically describe how attaching a label can shape perception and prejudice in the way labeling does.