expression) and the body (the distance we stand from others, our spatial orientation to them, posture, gesture, touch, and the like).
Even though some types of non-verbal behavior appear to be innate, cultures differ greatly in their use of this behavior and in their beliefs about what is appropriate.
Example:
For Americans, a “V” sign made with two fingers usually represents victory. Australians equate this gesture with a rude American gesture usually made with the middle finger.
A Japanese man may believe that Americans are excitable and emotional because they speak loudly, while the American he is talking to thinks he is reserved and inscrutable because he speaks softly and his face moves relatively little when they converse.
Generally speaking, the misunderstanding based on verbal and non-verbal behaviors is a result of Misinterpretation, Ethnocentrism, and Stereotypes caused by cultural differences among people who do not have benefit of shared experiences and different perceptions.
2.0.1 Definition
Perception is the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory data (what we see, hear, smell, feel or taste) in a way that enables us to make sense of our physical and social world.
2.0.2 Features of perception
Perceptions for even the same object, behavior or event are not always universal.
Culture predisposes what people see.
The ways of perception are differentially shared among cultural groups rather than universally applied. Culture provides us with a perceptual lens that greatly influences how we interpret and evaluate what we receive from the outside world. In the process of cultural learning we learn to make sense of the people and world around us. Our culture, therefore, filters what we pay attention to and determines what meanings we attach to our selection, that is, what we neglect and what we choose is determined by our culture.
culture sets the background for what we see in real life.
As in the Figures we have seen, the perceived image changes when we take different parts of the picture as the figure and ground. Similarly, our culture sets the background for what we see in real life.  
2.0.3 Implication for intercultural communication
The assumption of similarity is one of the biggest barriers in intercultural communication. The hazard assumption that we are all alike instead of being different seriously hinders effective communication across culture.
Different cultures have different perceptions for realities and such perceptual differences hinder the sharing of meaning and understanding between people from different cultures.
To understand other people we must go into their perceptual world and try to experience reality in the same manner as they do.
2.1.1 Cultures do not communicate; individuals do.
Everyone has a unique style of communication, but cultures determine a general style for their members. We are not always aware of the subtle influences of our culture. Likewise, we may not perceive that others are influenced by their cultures as well.
2.1.2 When Misunderstanding occurs, it is perceived as personal rather than cultural
Problems and misinterpretations do not result every time members from two cultures communicate. However, when cultural conflicts do arise, they may be perceived as personal rather 

Example:
Movies about cowboys and Indians portray cowboys as “civilized” and Indians as wild and “primitive”.
A child who knows about the American Indian only through watching these movies will have a distorted and false image of this group of people.
2.3.3 Results
Negative stereotypes lead to prejudice: suspicion, intolerance, or hatred of other cultural groups.
There are a number of reasons that stereotypes hamper intercultural communication.
First, stereotypes fail to specify individual characteristics or ignore individual differences. They assume that all members of a group have exactly the same traits.
Second, stereotypes also keep us from being successful as communicators because they are oversimplified, overgeneralized, and / or exaggerated. They are based on half-truths, distortions, and often untrue premises. Therefore, they create inaccurate pictures of the people with whom we are interacting.
Third, stereotypes tend to impede intercultural communication in that they repeat and reinforce beliefs until they often become taken for “truth”.
The close relationship between prejudice and stereotypes is illustrated in the following example:
Mr. Bias is a director of a small private company. He is interviewing candidates for the position of assistant manager. He selects a bright and ambitious applicant. Later, he discovers that this applicant is from the county of Levadel (a fictitious nation). Since he thinks that all Levadelians are stupid and lazy, he decides to select someone else for the position.
Unfortunately
there was nothing that this applicant could have done
to prove that he was indeed qualified for the job.   Rejected on the basis
of his nationality, the applicant was a victim of
an irrational belief. Misunderstanding people from other cultures are usually based on verbal and non-verbal basis.
Cultural Breakdowns, setbacks or conflicts result from misinterpretations, ethnocentrism, and stereotype as a result of misperception.