How do prejudice and discrimination differ in the context of workplace behavior?

In the context of workplace behavior, understanding the distinction between prejudice and discrimination is essential. Prejudice refers to an attitude or judgment that is pre-formed, often based on stereotypes and lacking personal experience with the group being judged. This attitude can influence how a person thinks about or feels towards individuals from certain groups, but it does not necessarily manifest as a specific action or behavior.

On the other hand, discrimination is an action that results from these prejudiced attitudes. It involves treating individuals unfairly or unequally based on their perceived group membership, such as race, gender, age, or other characteristics. Discrimination occurs in various forms, such as biased hiring practices, unequal pay, or exclusion from opportunities and resources.

Therefore, the correct choice highlights that prejudice is predominantly about one's internal thoughts and feelings (an attitude), while discrimination is the actionable outcome of those thoughts and feelings (a behavior). This distinction is crucial for understanding how biases can translate into real-world implications in the workplace, emphasizing the need for both awareness of attitudes and proactive measures to prevent discriminatory practices.