The paper assumes that most difficulties and problems in inter-cultural exchange stem from the lack of understanding, acceptance, trust or confidence on one or both sides in an inter-cultural relation. Many models of inter-cultural training aim, by way of various pedagogical methods, at the facilitating of the interplay between actors through learning about or experiencing inter-cultural contact. Still, scientific evidence about the efficiency of many approaches to inter-cultural training is scarce.The paper introduces a new theoretical perspective based on the psychological phenomenon of substitution between understanding, and trust with subsequent effects on acceptance and behaviours. From this perspective the paper elaborates on the psychological and situational requirements for substitution to occur in normal and recurring situations and relates such requirements to goals and needs in training.