Surprisingly, until now there has never been an empirical study of “creepiness.” An international sample of 1341 individuals responded to an online survey. Males were perceived as being more likely to be creepy than females, and females were more likely to associate sexual threat with creepiness. Unusual nonverbal behavior and characteristics associated with unpredictability were also predictors of creepiness, as were some occupations and hobbies. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that being “creeped out” is an evolved adaptive emotional response to ambiguity about the presence of threat that enables us to maintain vigilance during times of uncertainty.
@article{MCANDREW2016,title={On the Nature of Creepiness},journal={New Ideas in Psychology},volume={43},pages={10-15},year={2016},issn={0732-118X},doi={https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2016.03.003},url={https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0732118X16300320},author={{McAndrew, Francis T. and Koehnke, Sara S.}},keywords={Creepiness, Nonverbal behavior, Emotion, Person perception, Threat perception, Evolutionary psychology},bibtex_show={true},selected={true}}
2013
The Psychology of Creative Writing.
Forgeard, Marie J.C, Kaufman, Scott Barry and Kaufman, James C.
Summary Publications on the psychology of creative writing multiplied exponentially over the past two decades, with more than 200 in the 1990s, and more than 400 in the 2000s. The chapter reviews what has been discovered in this small but growing field of research, and to point to directions for future investigations. The content of this chapter draws in part from The Psychology of Creative Writing, which brought together a unique collection of perspectives on this topic. The chapter begins by looking at the creative writer. In particular, it describes existing research on personality and mood. Secondly, discusses the work of researchers who have attempted to delineate the various necessary steps involved in the creative writing process. This chapter also reviews the tools and practices proposed by educators and psychologists to promote and enhance creative writing among students and aspiring writers.
@inbook{FORGEARD2013,author={{Forgeard, Marie J.C, Kaufman, Scott Barry and Kaufman, James C.}},publisher={John Wiley & Sons, Ltd},isbn={9781118325759},title={The Psychology of Creative Writing},booktitle={A Companion to Creative Writing},chapter={21},pages={320-333},doi={https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118325759.ch21},url={https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118325759.ch21},eprint={https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781118325759.ch21},year={2013},keywords={creative writing, mood, personality, psychology},pdf={10.1002-9781118325759.ch21-The-Psychology-of-Creative-Writing.pdf},bibtex_show={true},selected={true}}
2007
Thymine Dimerization in DNA is an Ultrafast Photoreaction.
Schreier, W. J., Schrader, T. E., Koller, F. O., Gilch, P., Crespo-Hernández, C. E., Swaminathan, V. N., Carell, T., Zinth, W. and Kohler, B.
Femtosecond time-resolved infrared spectroscopy is used to study the formation of cyclobutane dimers in the all-thymine oligonucleotide (dT)18 by ultraviolet light at 272 nanometers. The appearance of marker bands in time-resolved spectra indicate that dimers are fully formed ∼1 picosecond after ultraviolet excitation. The ultrafast appearance of this mutagenic photolesion points to an approximately barrierless excited-state reaction for bases that are properly oriented at the instant of light absorption. The low quantum yield of this photoreaction is proposed to result from infrequent conformational states in the unexcited polymer, revealing a strong link between conformation prior to light absorption and photodamage.
@article{SCHREIER2007,title={Thymine Dimerization in DNA is an Ultrafast Photoreaction},journal={Science},volume={315},number={5812},pages={625–629},year={2007},doi={10.1126/science.1135428},url={https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792699/},author={{Schreier, W. J., Schrader, T. E., Koller, F. O., Gilch, P., Crespo-Hernández, C. E., Swaminathan, V. N., Carell, T., Zinth, W. and Kohler, B.}},pdf={10.1126-science.1135428-Thymine-Dimerization-in-DNA-is-an-Ultrafast-Photoreaction.pdf},bibtex_show={true},selected={false}}
2000
Something in the Cellar.
Tandy, Vic and Lawrence, Tony R.
Journal of the Society for Psychical Research,
2000.
An investigation into the link between infrasound and the perception of apparitions was performed in the 14th Century cellar beneath the Tourist Information Centre in Coventry. Based on the effect described in The Ghost in the Machine (Tandy and Lawrence 1998) details of individuals experiences were recorded and an analysis performed to test for any infrasound present in the cellar. Infrasound was found to be present at the point at which individuals had reported apparitional experiences at exactly the same frequency as that predicted in the original paper.
@article{TANDY2000,title={Something in the Cellar},journal={Journal of the Society for Psychical Research},volume={64.3},number={860},year={2000},author={{Tandy, Vic and Lawrence, Tony R.}},pdf={Tandy-Something-in-the-Cellar.pdf},bibtex_show={true},selected={false}}
1998
The Ghost in the Machine.
Tandy, Vic and Lawrence, Tony R.
Journal of the Society for Psychical Research,
1998.
In this paper we outline an as yet undocumented natural cause for some cases of ostensible haunting. Using the first author’s own experience as an example, we show how a 19hz standing air wave may under certain conditions create sensory phenomena suggestive of a ghost. The mechanics and physiology of this ‘ghost in the machine’ effect is outlined. Spontaneous case researchers are encouraged to rule out this potential natural explanation for paranormal experience in future cases of the haunting or poltergeistic type.
@article{TANDY1998,title={The Ghost in the Machine},journal={Journal of the Society for Psychical Research},volume={62},number={851},year={1998},url={https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0732118X16300320},author={{Tandy, Vic and Lawrence, Tony R.}},pdf={Tandy-The-Ghost-in-Machine.pdf},bibtex_show={true},selected={true}}