What term describes discrimination of one individual based on their relationship or association with another individual?

• A. Age stereotypes
• B. Associational discrimination
• C. Ableism
• D. Allies

Answer: (B)

Discrimination based on who someone is related to or associated with occurs when an individual is treated unfavorably not for their own traits, but because of their relationship to another person. This is associational discrimination. It’s the best descriptor here because it captures bias arising from connections—for example, treating an employee unfairly because their partner has a disability or because their child belongs to a protected group—rather than bias tied to the person’s own age, disability, or other attributes. The other terms refer to different ideas: age stereotypes are biases about age, ableism is discrimination against people with disabilities, and allies describes supportive individuals rather than a form of discrimination. Recognizing associational discrimination helps address bias rooted in relationships, not just personal characteristics.