Prejudice refers to the act of holding preconceived ideas or attitudes about an individual or a group of people, which are often based on limited information or stereotypes and are resistant to change even when confronted with new evidence or contradictory information. Prejudice can be either positive, involving favourable preconceived notions, or negative, involving unfavourable ones, but it often leads to biased judgments and unfair treatment of individuals based on their group affiliation rather than their personal characteristics. It is a key component of discrimination and can be rooted in various social factors, including social learning, conformity to group norms, and the need to justify social inequalities.