Question 1

What is the role of socialization and stereotypical beliefs in the perception of creepiness?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

We develop stereotypes through the process of socialization. Stereotypes then become cognitive shortcuts that we use to make predictions about the behavior of other people. Whenever someone becomes less predictable to us, the person puts us on our guard, especially if there are other cues in the situation to indicate that the individual might be a threat to us. So, a person who defies our stereotype might indeed be more likely to be perceived as creepy if we encounter that individual in a situation that we perceive as risky.

Question 2

Is it creepy to declare our love on social media, to a guy who is in love with you but in denial ? I grew up watching movies and movies are all about grandiose love declarations.

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

It sounds as if you are describing the perspective of actress Glenn Close in the movie "Fatal Attraction!" The bar is set higher for women when it comes to being perceived as a creep because women as a rule are less physically threatening than men. However, persistent declarations of love accompanied by stalking can indeed cross the line into creephood if you are not careful. Always remember that just because you think a guy is in denial does not mean that he actually is; he may just not be in love with you.

Question 3

What is the difference between 'creepy' and 'weird'?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

"Weird" is how we describe something that is simply unusual. "Creepy" is how we describe something that is unpredictable and potentially dangerous.

Question 4

Do creeps know they're creeps?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

A study that I published in 2016 indicated that most people do not believe that creeps know that they are creeps. Whether this is ACTUALLY true or not, I do not know. I expect that it is. This means that if someone asks you who the "office creep" is and you can't think of anyone, it may be time for some soul-searching.

Question 5

Is there a psychological theory that explains the concept of creepiness?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

Yes. I published an article in 2016 that proposes that creepiness is our response to uncertainty, and several studies since then have been supportive of this idea. Getting "creeped out" puts us into a state of heightened vigilance that allows us to carefully process information . that will tell us whether the person, place, or thing that is creeping us out is dangerous.

Question 6

Why do some people find certain things creepy and others don't?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

People differ from each other in how tolerant they are of ambiguity and how much they crave clarity and predictability. A person who is more comfortable with uncertainty will be harder to creep out than an individual who can't stand it. Also, the more we know and understand about something, the more predictable it becomes and the less likely we are to find it creepy. For example, an expert on spiders who can distinguish the dangerous ones from the harmless ones and who knows what to expect from them is less likely to be creeped out by spiders than a person who knows very little about them.

Question 7

How does feeling creeped out differ from fear and disgust and do these emotions require different brain mechanisms?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

Fear and disgust are emotional reactions to clear dangers. When we are afraid or disgusted by something, we know what it is and why we are bothered by it, and we usually know what we have to do to deal with it. When we get creeped out, it is the uncertainty of whether or not there is a threat, or if there is, what the exact nature of the threat is that causes us to get the heebie-jeebies.

Question 8

If getting creeped out is an adaptive emotional response to the uncertainty of danger, what do you feel is the best method to alter this response?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

I do not think that you DO want to alter this response! Getting creeped out is adaptive - it puts us on high alert in case we are in danger. If you are walking through a dark creepy place at night and hear a noise behind you, just shrugging your shoulders and not looking back is probably not the most prudent course of action. We are the descendants of humans who were reproductively successful precisely because they were easily creeped out.

Question 9

Why do I attract creepy people?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

I do not know enough about you to answer this question. Consider the possibility that you do not actually attract more creepy people than other individuals, but it is possible that you are simply better at detecting them. You may also be behaving in ways that encourage them to keep interacting with you, while other people cut them off more quickly.

Question 10

How can someone appear to be less creepy?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

Avoid acting in unpredictable and potentially threatening ways around people who do not already know you well. Also, remember that other people will rarely tell you when you are being creepy and that nervousness and twitchiness on your part makes other people uncomfortable.

In other words, do your best to calm down!

If you are a male, beware of being too aggressive and persistent in trying to contact women after you meet them (stalker!), and give them physical as well as psychological space when interacting with them in person—be cognizant of personal space and touching, and do not talk about sex too often or too early.

Check out this link for more advice:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/out-the-ooze/201707/how-avoid-creeping-women-out

Question 11

My friend called me 'creepy'? What should I do?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

Listen to them! If they are your friends, they can give you valuable feedback about the things you do that make others uncomfortable.

Question 12

Why are so many people creeped out by clowns?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

It is the inherent ambiguity surrounding clowns that make them creepy. They seem to be happy, but are they really? And they’re mischievous, which puts people constantly on guard. People interacting with a clown during one of his routines never know if they are about to get a pie in the face or be the victim of some other humiliating prank. The highly unusual physical characteristics of the clown (the wig, the big red nose, the makeup, the odd clothing) only magnify the uncertainty of what the clown might do next.

And throughout history, clowns have never been good. They exist to poke fun at people and play pranks on them. It is not surprising that they creep us out.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/column-psychology-behind-clowns-creep-us#.V-13ZyD0fRU.facebook

Question 13

What should we tell kids to do when their creepiness radar goes off? Through socialization so many of us have been taught to "be nice and polite etc"

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

Nice and polite are great, but if your child is alone in a scary situation, they should definitely follow their creepiness radar. Better to risk being rude than risk something much more dreadful.

Question 14

Why are people with greasy hair seen as creepy?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

I am not sure that people with greasy hair are necessarily seen as creepy, although this was one of the qualities identified by the participants in one of my studies.

Unusual or strange physical characteristics such as bulging eyes, a peculiar smile or inordinately long fingers did not, in and of themselves, cause us to perceive someone as creepy. But the presence of weird physical traits can amplify any other creepy tendencies that the person might be exhibiting, such as persistently steering conversations toward peculiar sexual topics or failing to understand the policy about bringing reptiles into the office.

Question 15

How is being creepy on social media different to being creepy in person? In fact, social norms around the concept of 'creepy' seemed to have changed with social media - social media stalking, personalized analytics and data-driven marketing all seem pretty creepy when you think about it but are the norm.

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

I think it is even easier to appear creepy on social media than it is in person. If you are interacting with another individual in person, you can use subtle nonverbal and verbal cues to clarify your intentions and the meaning of your words. These cues are missing in social media, so missteps that you make carry more weight and perhaps make people more cautious in dealing with you.

Question 16

This work is depressing for those who are neurodiverse or socially awkward. Any advice?

Frank McAndrew · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, I think that individuals who are "different" in some way and who may not be good at reading social feedback from others may in fact be more likely to be perceived as creepy. However, once people get to know you and understand how you operate, their creep detectors calm down. Try your best to meet new people in situations where you are most comfortable, and understand that you are the type of person who others will warm up to over time rather than someone who wows them with a big first impression.

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