Final answer:
The differing norms around eye contact between Americans and people from other cultures could lead to 'mixed messaging,' where the behavior is interpreted differently, causing misunderstanding in cross-cultural communications.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question addresses how cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings in interpersonal or business contexts, particularly between Americans and individuals from cultures with different norms surrounding eye contact. Americans tend to maintain eye contact to convey honesty and trustworthiness in social and professional interactions. However, in some other cultures, this behavior could be seen as confrontational or disrespectful, making them uncomfortable.
While such a difference in behavior might lead to various types of misunderstandings, the term that best fits the context provided in the question is mixed messaging. This term refers to a communication barrier where the same behavior is interpreted in multiple ways, depending on the cultural context. Therefore, this could be a source of mixed messaging, potentially leading to confusion and misinterpretation in cross-cultural communications.