Final answer:
Prejudice is a negative attitude toward an entire category of people, which can lead to discrimination, such as in the case of gender discrimination experienced by psychologist Mary Whiton Calkins. Stereotypes, a form of prejudice, are overgeneralized beliefs about a group that can lead to biased treatment and social exclusion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Prejudice refers to a negative attitude toward an entire category of people. This set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices are often used to justify the belief that one racial category is somehow superior or inferior to others. Prejudice can lead to discrimination, which is negative action toward individuals as a result of their membership in a particular group. An example includes gender discrimination experienced by Mary Whiton Calkins, who despite meeting all requirements for a Ph.D., was denied the degree by Harvard solely because of her gender.
Stereotypes are a specific form of prejudice, acting as a simplistic and often negative belief about characteristics generalized to all people within that group. For instance, holding the stereotypical belief that older adults are slow or that Black athletes are naturally more athletic but less intelligent exemplify this overgeneralization. Such stereotypes can lead to biased treatment and exclusion of individuals based on group membership.
It is also noted that while we often discuss the negative aspects of prejudice and discrimination, people can also hold positive views toward individuals based on group membership, such as preferring those who share the same gender, race, or interests.