The psychology of who we find creepy and why

[Vasilisa]

The psychology of who we find creepy and why
Tuesday, 5 April 2016
Post written by Christian Jarrett
The British Psychological Society

Excerpt:
Maybe they're sitting too close, or just smiling weirdly. Whatever, you know it's creeping you out! Finding certain people creepy is a common experience yet psychologists, before now, haven't investigated this emotion.

Francis McAndrew and Sara Koehnke, the authors of a new exploratory paper in New Ideas in Psychology, say that creepiness is what we feel when we think someone might be a threat, but we're not sure – the ambiguity leaves us "frozen in place, wallowing in unease".

The pair conducted an online survey of 1341 people (312 were men; average age 29, mostly based in the US), including asking them to rate the likelihood of a creepy person exhibiting 44 different patterns of behaviour (e.g. avoiding eye contact), and to rate the creepiness of different occupations and hobbies.

Several behaviours and aspects of appearance were consistently rated as characteristic of creepy people, including: standing too close; greasy hair; peculiar smile; bulging eyes; having a mental illness; long fingers; unkempt hair; pale skin; bags under eyes; odd/dirty clothes; licking lips frequently; laughing at odd times; steering conversation toward one topic (especially sex); making it impossible to leave without seeming rude; displaying unwanted sexual interest; asking to take a picture of you; being very thin; and displaying too much/little emotion. Men and women alike overwhelmingly said it was more likely that a typical creepy person would be male.

"While they may not be overtly threatening, individuals who display unusual patterns of nonverbal behaviour, odd emotional characteristics or highly distinctive physical characteristics are outside of the norm, and by definition unpredictable. This may activate our 'creepiness detector'," the researchers said.

< full blog post >

A mugger who points a gun in your face and demands money is certainly threatening and terrifying. Yet, most people would probably not use the word “creepy” to describe this situation. It is our belief that creepiness is anxiety aroused by the ambiguity of whether there is something to fear or not and/or by the ambiguity of the precise nature of the threat (e.g., sexual, physical violence, contamination, etc) that might be present. Such uncertainty results in a paralysis as to how one should respond. In the mugging situation, there is no ambiguity about the presence or nature of threat.

It would be considered rude and embarrassing to run away from an odd person who has done nothing overtly threatening, but, on the other hand, it could be perilous to ignore your intuition and remain in an interaction that is dangerous. This ambivalence leaves you frozen in place, wallowing in unease.

(Image: McAndrew and Koehnke)

(Image: McAndrew and Koehnke)

On the nature of creepiness​

 

[SD45T-2]

"See if you can stand to talk to me for more than 4 seconds!"

 

[Cloudpatrol]

[MENTION=9273]Vasilisa[/MENTION]

One of my fave posts ever. So fascinating! Fun to ruminate on where "taking an active interest" crosses the line into "creepy" territory. I am archiving this as I have always wanted to write a creepy character and think this will be helpful

 

[á´…eparted]

I've always regarded creepy people as "people who don't respect or see unspoken but understood boundaries". This is much better though, AND it's backed by data!

 

[Cellmold]

You're telling me my greasy unkempt hair, friend touching, tall being, odd smiling, under/over dressedness, thin, standing too closeness is considered creepy?

I better stop working on the muscular as well...

 

[ThaumaturgicTheorist]

I'm more concerned that being unemployed is considered creepy.

 

[ceecee]

How did US Senator/Presidential candidate not make this list?

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Damn it! I was going to go to clown college for graduate school. Now, I'll have to flush that plan down the toilet.

 

[Totenkindly]

Damn it! I was going to go to clown college for graduate school. Now, I'll have to flush that plan down the toilet.

Maybe "plumber" is still up there too.

Pennywise always hung out in the sewer.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Maybe "plumber" is still up there too.

Pennywise always hung out in the sewer.

I think plumbers are too into eating psychedelic mushrooms, which suggests a certain affability.

 

[Cloudpatrol]

I think plumbers are too into eating psychedelic mushrooms, which suggests a certain affability.

Worked for Super Mario!

 

[Cellmold]

I'm more concerned that being unemployed is considered creepy.

Yeah I wasn't sure I understood the connection there.

I mean I can speculate that some have a certain snobbery towards unemployed people because they associate some of those other traits with those who are less financially well off and thus the notion of unemployment is 'creepy' but even so, it's surely the factors of the person which come into play not the status of unemployment? I was unemployed for a year or so once, but I was lucky to have a supportive family at the time, so the financial ramifications weren't too severe and so as a person how I dressed and acted did not change from when I was working, so on that basis would that mean I suddenly became creepy to a select group of people?

Strange indeed.

 

[ChocolateMoose123]

I'm more concerned that being unemployed is considered creepy.

Since this information wouldn't be known on just a passing surface action, I can see this being someone you know that never has a job yet never seems to be that bad off a financial predicament.

"wtf does that dude do?"

"I don't know. But it's weird."

I just embellished but that's how I saw it. But maybe it should say "people you can't tell what they do for a living." Rather than unemployed?

I really don't know. Lol

Can I also add to that anyone who signs up to sell Herbalife wraps? Those people are creepy and sorry if I offend anyone by saying so.

 

[GIjade]

Yeah I wasn't sure I understood the connection there.

I mean I can speculate that some have a certain snobbery towards unemployed people because they associate some of those other traits with those who are less financially well off and thus the notion of unemployment is 'creepy' but even so, it's surely the factors of the person which come into play not the status of unemployment?

It's not the status of unemployment at all. A lot of people are unemployed. It's definitely the personality of the person that's creepy in such a situation. But I don't even know why unemployment would be a factor at all in this thread.

 

[Dyslexxie]

I would think unemployed would rank higher in the 'creepy' category. And before you all get up in arms at me about that comment, I mean long term unemployment with no interest in seeking work, especially in people that are capable of working.
A lot of serial killers are the unemployed drifter type. One guy I've been reading about preferred begging for a living (as opposed to his actual training as a mechanic) because he could make over $500 per day, and upwards of $1000 if he had a woman and a child with him.

Several behaviours and aspects of appearance were consistently rated as characteristic of creepy people, including: standing too close; greasy hair; peculiar smile; bulging eyes; having a mental illness; long fingers; unkempt hair; pale skin; bags under eyes; odd/dirty clothes; licking lips frequently; laughing at odd times; steering conversation toward one topic (especially sex); making it impossible to leave without seeming rude; displaying unwanted sexual interest; asking to take a picture of you; being very thin; and displaying too much/little emotion. Men and women alike overwhelmingly said it was more likely that a typical creepy person would be male.

STEVE BUSCEMI IS THAT YOU?

 

[á´…eparted]

 

[Cellmold]

It's not the status of unemployment at all. A lot of people are unemployed. It's definitely the personality of the person that's creepy in such a situation. But I don't even know why unemployment would be a factor at all in this thread.

Well.....yeah....that's what I said.

I would think unemployed would rank higher in the 'creepy' category. And before you all get up in arms at me about that comment, I mean long term unemployment with no interest in seeking work, especially in people that are capable of working.
A lot of serial killers are the unemployed drifter type. One guy I've been reading about preferred begging for a living (as opposed to his actual training as a mechanic) because he could make over $500 per day, and upwards of $1000 if he had a woman and a child with him.


STEVE BUSCEMI IS THAT YOU?

Except it doesn't appear to go into that level of detail or specifics.

 

[Dyslexxie]

Except it doesn't appear to go into that level of detail or specifics.

Well yeah, obviously, I'm just rationalizing it. Being unemployed isn't exactly a desirable thing in any case.

 

[Cellmold]

Well yeah, obviously, I'm just rationalizing it. Being unemployed isn't exactly a desirable thing in any case.

My devil's advocate is stirring.......what if someone is unemployed by the standards of a society that runs on finance, as in has no job within that society, but actually lives off the grid and generates their entire lifestyle themselves?

Technically they are still unemployed, but providing their own supports in life. Ok nitpicking over...I think.

 

[Dyslexxie]

My devil's advocate is stirring.......what if someone is unemployed by the standards of a society that runs on finance, as in has no job within that society, but actually lives off the grid and generates their entire lifestyle themselves?

Technically they are still unemployed, but providing their own supports in life. Ok nitpicking over...I think.

That's a fair argument for sure...though to be fair I think someone who lives off the grid and refuses to be part of society would also come off as somewhat unnerving as well. Look at us derailing this lol.