What term describes judgments about an individual employee based on their age rather than on their knowledge, skills, or abilities?

• A. Allies
• B. Agnostic
• C. Amerasian
• D. Age stereotypes

Answer: (D)

Judging someone based on age rather than actual knowledge, skills, or abilities reflects bias tied to age—the beliefs people hold about what someone of a certain age can or cannot do. This is what age stereotypes describe: preconceived notions about abilities tied to age that influence how we evaluate performance or potential. Because it singles out the person’s age instead of objective capabilities, it leads to unfair assessments, promotions, or hiring decisions. The other terms don’t fit because they refer to different ideas: allies are supporters of a group, agnostic relates to belief about knowledge of existence, and Amerasian denotes a person of mixed American and Asian heritage.