Read the passage and answer the question that follow :
Namita is studying in London. Being an Indian she faces a variety of discriminatory behavior on an everyday basis. For instance, Namita had an Economics examination in the morning. While she was revising her notes outside the exam hall one of her classmates, Jessica commented that, "You are from a country of snake charmers, I do not think advanced Economics concepts are your cup of tea". Namita felt bad and started to think it over. Although she was prepared well for her exam but due to nervousness, she was not able to perform well in the exam and failed. Seeing her result, other students started to call her "Know Nothing Namita". Some students started bullying other Indian students also without provocation. This instance led the students of other nationalities to believe that there must be some truth in what everyone says about Indians.
Prejudice may also get translated into ________, the behavioural component.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Discrimination
Prejudice, like any attitude, has three components: the cognitive (stereotype), the affective (dislike or hatred) and the behavioural one.
Option (1) Stereotype — Incorrect. A stereotype is a cluster of ideas about the characteristics of a specific group; it is the cognitive component of prejudice.
Option (2) Discrimination — Correct. Prejudice may get translated into discrimination, the behavioural component, whereby people behave in a less positive way towards a particular target group than towards a group they favour. The students who bullied Indian students without provocation were discriminating.
Option (3) Hatred or dislike — Incorrect. Dislike or hatred accompanies the stereotype as the affective component. It is a feeling, not a behaviour.
Option (4) Pro-social behaviour — Incorrect. Pro-social behaviour means helping others who are in need, without expecting anything in return. It is the opposite of acting out a prejudice.
Note 1: The concept in Option (4), ‘pro-social behaviour’, was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT, which NTA followed in 2023, and is not there in the NCERT book (2025-26).
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 29-05-2023 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “Prejudice and Discrimination … Prejudices are examples of attitudes towards a particular group. They are usually negative, and in many cases, may be based on stereotypes (the cognitive component) about the specific group. As will be discussed below in the section on social cognition, a stereotype is a cluster of ideas regarding the characteristics of a specific group. All members belonging to this group are assumed to possess these characteristics. Often, stereotypes consist of undesirable characteristics about the target group, and they lead to negative attitudes or prejudices towards members of specific groups. The cognitive component of prejudice is frequently accompanied by dislike or hatred, the affective component. Prejudice may also get translated into discrimination, the behavioural component, whereby people behave in a less positive way towards a particular target group compared to another group which they favour.…” |