Nervous people may not hear what is being said.when anxiety causes them tomisspeak,theirvlack of attention can lead to misunderstandings.another cause of misunderstanding is assuming that cultures are similar.visitors to other countries can act inappropriately if they don't know the culture well.Lt can,however,be just as problematic to assume that cultures are different.the best approach is to ask about or research relevant customs.beware of ethnocentrism a the attitude that one's own culture is superior.Lt is a dangerous barrier to effective communication.Lt may be a human tendency to consider one's own culture better and to use its standards to judge other cultures.however,it is an approach to be avoided.such judgments may cause ethnocentric individuals to reject other points of view.Lt can take conscious effort to recognize and overcome such beliefs.the same is true of stereotypes and prejudices,which prevent successful communication.stereotypes can be positive or negative,while prejudices are generally negative.both are judgments about individuals based on their membership in a particular group.racial,ethnic,religious,or occupational stereotypes too often are used to interpret behavior.this can lead to unfair conclusions about people as well as miscommunication.simple awareness of this problem will help avoid potential misunderstandings.