What's The difference between a bias and a prejudice?

Answer 1

Bias: if you have a bias, it means you favor one thing over another in a way that prevents your opinion from being fair

for example: a bias referee, favors one team over the other.
this could be because they were on that team or they know the coach etc. but for some reason, they like that team more that the other.

PREJUDICE:
an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.

EX: say you have been raised to hate marshmallows, or a certain author, or some type of music.

this means that you have a prejudice against marshmallows, that author, or that type of music. you have made an uniformed,and unjustified judgment against them.

they mean almost the same thing, and are often used as synonyms, but they can also mean two different things. it depends on the usage.

it is possible for a referee be bias, and not prejudice.

Answer 2

A bias means to prefer something. Someone with a bias would, say, prefer (or strongly prefer) his own race but be open to others. A prejudice, on the other hand, means contempt and/or hatred towards other things or way of life.

The difference lies in hatred.
Bias = no hatred, just preference.
Prejudice = excessive hatred.

Answer 3

from dictionary.net: 2. A leaning of the mind; propensity or prepossession toward an object or view, not leaving the mind indifferent; bent; inclination.

1. To cause to have prejudice; to prepossess with opinions formed without due knowledge or examination; to bias the mind of, by hasty and incorrect notions; to give an unreasonable bent to, as to one side or the other of a cause; as, to prejudice a critic or a juryman.

Suffer not any beloved study to prejudice your mind so far as to despise all other learning. --I. Watts

2. To obstruct or injure by prejudices, or by previous bias of the mind; hence, generally, to hurt; to damage; to injure; to impair; as, to prejudice a good cause.

it would appear that they are not so much different as inclusive. also, prejudice almost always applies to the human condition; whereas bias can be an aspect of nature and physics

1. A weight on the side of the ball used in the game of bowls, or a tendency imparted to the ball, which turns it from a straight line.

it would seem that bias deals with balance in some interpretation or other.

Answer 4

a bias is where someone's personal tastes affect the way they look at something; a prejudice is where someone's beliefs and preconceptions affect how they treat someone.

that's my take on it, at least. hope it was helpful!

Answer 5

Example of Bias: My teacher voted for GW Bush, I write an essay that she considered to be Bush Bashing. so she gives me a bad grade because she is bias! not because it was not a good essay!

Prejeduce is she gives me a bad grade because I am black!