These Are the Social Signals That People Find the Most Creepy.
It’s hard to define creepiness, but you probably know how it feels to be scared by someone. Recent research suggests refraining from these nasty social cues unless you want to be perceived as disgusting.
In a study currently pending for publication, led by Francis T. McAndrew and Sarah S. Cohenke of Knox College, more than 1,300 participants were surveyed to see what activities and characteristics they found to be the most creepy. According to their results, here are some of the most frustrating things you can do with friends and acquaintances:
- Observe your friend before interacting with him.
- Touch your friend often.
- Constantly direct the conversation towards sex.
- Ask for a photo of your friend (without you).
- Ask for personal details about your friend’s family.
Other things include standing too close to someone and never looking people in the eye. Some of them are taken for granted, such as when you look at a friend before you say something. However, if you catch yourself doing something else, you can make people feel uncomfortable. Swap what you do and make sure your friends and acquaintances don’t have the wrong idea about you. When in doubt, keep in mind the general theory of creepiness . Creepy is great for horror movies, but not especially when it comes to your social life. You can find out more about the study and what other people find unpleasant in the link below.
(On the nature) of creepiness | Knox College Department of Psychology via Business Insider