What is the English noun for voreingenommenheit, vorurteil?

• A. bias
• B. prejudice
• C. tolerance
• D. neutrality

Answer: (A)

Voreingenommenheit describes a tendency to judge in a certain direction before considering evidence. The best English noun for that broad sense is bias, because it covers both a leaning for or against something and the way that such leaning can color judgments, whether on purpose or unconsciously. Prejudice, by contrast, usually refers to a firmly held, often negative opinion about people or groups. So bias fits as the general translation for both terms, with prejudice used when the emphasis is specifically on an unfounded negative attitude toward others. For example, there can be a bias in how a study is designed, whereas prejudice would refer to a negative assumption about a group.