4. Stereotyping. Recall that stereotyping is a perceptual shortcut in which people assume that everyone in a cultural group is the same. When we interact based on stereotypes, we risk engaging in inaccurate and even unethical communication that is likely to damage our relationships (Photo 3.8). The Communicating in the World feature focuses on the debate that arose about race and stereotypes in the critically acclaimed film, The Help, based on the bestselling book by Kathryn Stockett.