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Social categorization refers to the cognitive process of classifying oneself and other people into socially meaningful groups based on perceived characteristics, similarities, differences, or group memberships ^[1][2]. Categories may involve characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, occupation, or other socially relevant attributes, and their salience can vary according to context and individual goals ^[1][3]. Social categorization helps individuals organize and interpret complex social information by facilitating predictions about others and providing frameworks for understanding social relationships and group membership ^[2][4]. Categorizing people into groups can also contribute to the formation and activation of social identities, including distinctions between ingroups and outgroups ^[1][3]. These categorizations may influence attention, perception, evaluation, stereotyping, and intergroup behavior, although their effects depend on the categories activated and the social context in which they are used ^[2][4]. Social categorization is therefore a fundamental process through which people organize social information and understand themselves and others in relation to social groups.