Which of the following best describes individual discrimination?

The best description of individual discrimination involves the actions of one person that negatively impact another based on certain characteristics, such as race, gender, age, or any other distinguishing factor. It reflects a personal bias manifested in behavior, where an individual exhibits prejudiced attitudes or actions against another individual, often leading to unequal treatment or social disadvantage.

This concept specifically highlights how discrimination can occur on a personal level, affecting interpersonal relationships and social interactions rather than stemming from broader societal structures or policies. Individual discrimination is significant because it emphasizes the role of individual agency in upholding or challenging discriminatory norms, illustrating how one person's actions can contribute to systemic issues of inequality and bias.

In contrast, the other choices refer to broader societal aspects. For instance, societal trends encompass widespread biases shared across a social group, policies might address systemic advantages given to specific groups rather than focusing on individual actions, and altering societal norms speaks to collective change rather than the individual misconduct that characterizes individual discrimination. Thus, the emphasis on personal behavior and its impact on another individual makes the selected answer the most fitting description of individual discrimination.