miscomprehension

Miscomprehension refers to the failure to understand information, statements, or signals as intended, resulting in an incorrect interpretation. It is a form of cognitive error in processing messages and is distinct from miscommunication, which concerns the sender's failure to convey clearly.

Causes include linguistic ambiguity, cultural differences, and divergent background knowledge. Cognitive biases, insufficient attention, and working memory limits can distort interpretation. Context, tone, and nonverbal cues can also be misread; illogical or contradictory information may be harder to integrate. Language proficiency and cognitive load increase the likelihood of miscomprehension.

Types include semantic miscomprehension (incorrect word or concept understanding), pragmatic miscomprehension (misreading intent or implications), and contextual miscomprehension (failure to apply information appropriately given the setting). Errors can occur across written, spoken, and visual channels.

Examples: misinterpreting a test instruction as optional when it is required; taking a sarcastic remark at face value; reading a policy document without recognizing its scope; a news headline implying causation from correlation.

Mitigation: to reduce miscomprehension, clarifying questions, paraphrasing, and explicit confirmation can help. Use precise language, provide examples, and offer context. In multilingual settings, avoid idioms, present multilingual glossaries, and check comprehension with summaries.