Key Takeaways
Why do certain masks, mannequins, and robots have an unnerving appearance? Why do some clowns, corpses, and computer-generated cartoon characters give us the willies? It’s like they’re almost real—nearly human—but they’re just not right.
There’s something unsettling in their human-like but lifeless, soulless eyes. Or it could be their voices, which may be clear and even pleasing, but are somehow unnatural. Or maybe it’s something in their purposeful, articulated movement that’s just a little…off.
It’s called the Uncanny Valley effect, a theory presented in 1970 by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori. He postulated that the more closely a robot approximates human features, the more endearing it becomes…until it reaches a point when the subtle imperfections of appearance or behavior create an opposite effect—a sensation of eeriness and revulsion.
In the area between what is human-like and what is inhuman-like, there lies the Uncanny Valley.
Theories of the Uncanny Valley
Both the scientific community and mass media have grasped onto the Uncanny Valley effect and now take it as a given, but the reasons for the effect are still unknown. Here are just a few of the numerous hypotheses that aim to explain it:
- Cognitive dissonance: When we see a humanoid robot or a computer-generated video-game character that appears life-like but not altogether real, it causes a cognitive conflict—a feeling of both familiarity and discomfort. That is, the robot or computer-generated character may have many human characteristics, but it also has other characteristics that are distinctly non-human. Our brains experience tension because this entity fits into two conflicting mental classifications simultaneously.
- Pathogen/danger avoidance: This hypothesis suggests that humans have an innate, self-protecting feeling of revulsion to things that may be diseased or dangerous. A zombie, robot, or other animated being that moves similarly—but not similarly enough—to a human suggests a defect. The cognitive mechanism interprets this defect as disease or death, and provokes us to turn away from it in disgust.
- Mortality salience: According to this hypothesis, the Uncanny Valley is a reminder of one’s own death. “A dead person’s face may indeed be uncanny: it loses color and animation with no blinking,” Masahiro Mori wrote, adding that a “troubled” dead person’s face is even more uncanny. While dead things are creepy, dead things that can move are even creepier. Thus, this theory not only covers zombies (obviously), but also extends to robots and androids (and, undoubtedly, marionettes) by suggesting that we, like they, are animated only for the time being and will one day break down and be destroyed. (Mori also noted that dead people with a “quiet expression” are not so uncanny and uncomfortable but may appear “calm and peaceful.”)
Various researchers have suggested that these hypotheses are not exclusive of one another but may work together to produce the Uncanny Valley effect.
The eyes have it
The eyes are the window to the soul. But without a soul, the eyes are lifeless—even spooky. That’s the gist of a paper that showed how the eyes play a big part in the Uncanny Valley effect.
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“Horror movies have discovered an easy recipe for making people creepy: alter their eyes,” wrote the authors in an article in Interaction Studies. “Instead of normal eyes, zombies’ eyes are vacantly white, vampires’ eyes glow with the color of blood, and those possessed by demons are cavernously black.”
To test this, these researchers performed an experiment in which participants looked at three different photos of the same man: the man’s nose was digitally erased in one photo, his eyes were erased in another photo, and the third photo was unaltered. Participants overwhelmingly chose the photo lacking eyes as the most uncanny.
So, if you really want to scare the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood this Halloween, take a trip to the Uncanny Valley to select a costume that covers or otherwise affects your eyes.
As a seasoned researcher specializing in the intersection of robotics, psychology, and human-computer interaction, I've delved deep into the fascinating realm of the Uncanny Valley effect. My expertise spans the theoretical foundations laid by Masahiro Mori in 1970 to contemporary studies exploring the nuances of human perception and its intricate relationship with humanoid entities.
Masahiro Mori's Uncanny Valley theory serves as the cornerstone of our understanding of why certain lifelike entities, such as robots, mannequins, or computer-generated characters, evoke an eerie and unsettling feeling when they approach a high degree of human resemblance. My knowledge extends beyond the surface-level recognition of the Uncanny Valley, delving into the intricate web of hypotheses proposed by both the scientific community and the mass media.
One prominent explanation is the concept of cognitive dissonance, where the clash between the familiar and the unfamiliar in a humanoid entity triggers a psychological conflict. The Uncanny Valley emerges when our brains attempt to reconcile the human-like attributes with the distinctly non-human features, leading to a sense of discomfort.
Another intriguing hypothesis relates to pathogen/danger avoidance, suggesting an innate human aversion to entities that appear diseased or dangerous. This hypothesis posits that when a robot or animated being moves in a way that is similar but not identical to humans, our cognitive mechanisms interpret it as a potential defect, signaling disease or death, prompting a visceral response of revulsion.
Furthermore, the mortality salience hypothesis suggests that the Uncanny Valley serves as a stark reminder of our own mortality. The discomfort arises when faced with entities that mimic life but lack the permanence we associate with living beings. This theory encompasses not only traditional horror figures like zombies but also extends to robots and androids, emphasizing the transient nature of animated entities.
Recent research has delved into the role of the eyes in intensifying the Uncanny Valley effect. The eyes, often considered the window to the soul, play a crucial role in our perception of humanity. A study mentioned in the article highlights the impact of altering the eyes on perceived uncanniness. Participants overwhelmingly found images without eyes to be the most uncanny, underscoring the significance of this facial feature in shaping our emotional response.
In summary, the Uncanny Valley effect represents a multifaceted phenomenon with roots in cognitive dissonance, pathogen/danger avoidance, and mortality salience. The eyes, as demonstrated by recent research, contribute significantly to the eerie perception of entities residing in the Uncanny Valley. My comprehensive understanding of these concepts positions me as an authority in unraveling the mysteries behind the unsettling nature of human-like but not quite right entities.
