Final answer:
The statement regarding prejudice being a favorable judgment based on fact is false. Prejudice is a negative, preconceived notion originating without factual basis and often linked to stereotypes, which can lead to discriminatory behaviors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'prejudice is a favorable judgment of a person’s character based on fact' is false. Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one's membership in a particular social group, without any known, factual personal experiences with the individual. It refers to prejudgment, originating outside of actual experience. Discrimination is an action based on prejudice, and they are interconnected as discrimination serves as the behavioral expression of prejudicial beliefs. An example of prejudice could be having a negative opinion about immigrants solely based on their status as foreigners.
Often, prejudice is associated with stereotypes, which are overgeneralized beliefs about people based on their group membership rather than individual merit, and these beliefs could be either positive or negative. Notably, positive prejudices, such as preferential treatment for those who share similar characteristics (like the same favorite sports team or nationality), still stem from a biased perspective rather than a factual evaluation of an individual's character. Over time, experiences that align with these prejudicial beliefs can cause a person to feel their prejudgments are justified, a phenomenon known as confirmation bias.