Which of the following statements concerning social categorization is correct?

A) It occurs without conscious awareness.
B) It is deliberate and conscious.
C) People who do it tend to be young and naïve.
D) Social categorization is a relatively new phenomenon.

Social categorization often occurs automatically and without conscious awareness due to cognitive shortcuts in the brain. This process helps individuals make sense of complex social environments by quickly identifying and grouping individuals based on shared characteristics or attributes.