From Freud to Android: Constructing a Scale of Uncanny Feelings

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Affective Science

Background:

• The uncanny valley phenomenon lacks a clear definition for associated emotions.
• Understanding uncanny emotions is crucial for fields like engineering, animation, and psychology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable measure for uncanny emotions.
• To differentiate uncanny feelings from other affective states.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory factor analysis to identify dimensions of uncanny feelings.
• Convergent and discriminant validity testing using various stimuli (uncanny, disgusting, fearful, neutral videos).
• Assessing the scale's ability to detect uncanniness from real-world events (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic).

Main Results:

• An 8-item measure of unnerved feelings was developed, showing two factors: 'unnerved' and 'disoriented'.
• The 'unnerved' measure demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity.
• Participants exposed to uncanny stimuli reported higher unnerved feelings compared to other conditions.
• The scale successfully detected unnerved feelings related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions:

• The developed scale effectively measures uncanny emotions, distinguishing them from other affective experiences.
• This research contributes to a clearer psychological and interdisciplinary understanding of the uncanny valley.
• The findings have implications for fields interacting with human perception of artificial entities and unusual situations.