Serpopsychology (WHAT’S CREEPY?) with Dr. Frank McAndrew
Are you creepy? How would you know? What’s “creepy” as opposed to scary or eerie? We talk to the pioneer of this research, Serpopsychologist Dr. Frank McAndrew, a professor emeritus at Knox College. We chat: dates that give you the willies, Weary Willie the Clown, haunted dolls, college goths, dark alleyways, evolutionary neurobiology, what NOT to get Oprah, the line between horror and comedy, the phobia of balloons, dating tips, and why you should re-evaluate your bathmat. Welcome to Spooktober 2025. We have more waiting in the wings for you this month.
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Visit Dr. McAndrew's website and follow him on Google Scholar, Facebook, and Bluesky
A donation went to WTVP, the PBS affiliate for Central Illinois
Links to things we discussed:
Jarrett Sleeper’s song: Peter Sarsgaard is not related to the Skarsgärds; they actually have different names altogether
The Psychology, Geography and Architecture of Horror: How Places Creep Us Out
Where is that fine line between terror and delight?
The Psychology Behind Why Clowns Creep You Out
Why lifelike dolls and robots creep you out
Scary Clowns: Behind the Painted Smile
Upstate clown sightings reported in 2016
Reddit: How do modern clowns deal/feel about the increase in the fear of clowns?
Scared Together: Heart Rate Synchrony and Social Closeness in a High-Intensity Horror Setting
Recreational Fear Across Childhood: A Cross-Sectional Study of Scary Activities that Children Enjoy
Affective Forecasting During a Horror Attraction: Insights into Intolerance of Uncertainty
First They Scream, Then They Laugh: The Cognitive Intersections of Humor and Fear
Unintentional Injury Deaths in the U.S. for Ages 1-44 from 1981-2023
Report: Fatal Accidents
Injuries and Violence Are Leading Causes of Death
Danger Avoidance: An Evolutionary Explanation of Uncanny Valley
Ghost hunter Dan Rivera dies while on tour with possessed ‘Annabelle’ doll, reports say
“Conjuring: Last Rights” trailer
Comedian Matt Rife buys Ed and Lorraine Warren’s museum and Annabelle doll
A Systematic Program to Reduce the Incidence and Severity of Bathtub and Shower Area Injuries
Incidence of Symptoms and Accidents During Baths and Showers Among the Japanese General Public
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Spooktober: Topics to Startle and Love
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Systems Biology (MEDICAL MATHEMATICS)
Personality Psychology (PERSONALITIES)
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