Media Coverage
June 2019
the independent - Why do we find dolls so creepy?
The chances are that you have, at one time or another, shared a house with at least one doll. Perhaps you owned a baby doll as a child, maybe you display them in adulthood, or have a friend or aunt who does. If you’ve got young children, you probably trip over one on a regular basis. You might be able to see a doll from where you’re sitting right at this minute.
November 2015
the guardian - uncanny valley: why we find human-like robots and dolls so scary
It seems obvious that the more human robots are, the more familiar we find them. But it’s only true up to a point – then we find them disturbing.
October 2013
BBC news - Zombie faces: Why are we afraid of them?
The horror-film appeal of zombies is rooted in an instinctive disquiet at faces that are almost human, says a psychologist. A research project by the Open University's Stephanie Lay found a particular fear of "near-human" faces. It explains why blank eyes, automatons, masks and ventriloquists' dolls are common cinema devices to instil fear. The psychologist says a study of 3,000 people found widespread "repulsion" at near-human faces. The finding is part of research into the so-called "uncanny valley" phenomenon in how people react to robots.