Which bias is the tendency to classify people or information based on observed or inferred characteristics?

• A. Categorical thinking bias
• B. Sunk-cost bias
• C. Unstructured interviews
• D. Structured interview

Answer: (A)

This item is about the tendency to sort people or information into categories based on what you observe or assume about them. That impulse to put others into labeled groups or apply stereotypes from inferred traits is known as categorical thinking. It acts like a mental shortcut that shortcuts nuanced evaluation, leading to quick, generalized judgments rather than assessing each person on their own merits.

Why this fits best: categorizing people by visible traits or inferred characteristics is exactly what categorical thinking bias describes. The other options describe different ideas: a sunk-cost bias is about continuing a course of action because of prior investments, while unstructured and structured interviews refer to ways of gathering information, not a bias about classification.