A race condition occurs in computing when two or more processes or threads attempt to access shared resources simultaneously, leading to unpredictable outcomes. This situation often arises in multi-threaded applications where the timing of events can affect the program's behavior, resulting in errors or inconsistent data. To prevent race conditions, developers use synchronization techniques, such as mutexes or semaphores, which control access to shared resources. By ensuring that only one process can access a resource at a time, these methods help maintain data integrity and ensure that programs function as intended, regardless of the timing of operations.