How Creepy are You? Take the Test!

Do you have trouble making friends, or finding romance? Do you sometimes get the feeling that people find you a bit off, in a way they can’t explain? Are you sometimes asked to leave retail premises before you get a chance to explain why you need that much bleach?

A new study has undertaken the first ever “empirical study of creepiness”, with 1,341 individuals asked to rate 44 different behaviours, including inappropriate laughter, standing too close and constantly steering the conversation toward sex. Loosely based on its findings, here’s a quick quiz to give you an idea of exactly how creepy you are.

1. When speaking with someone for the first time, it’s best to maintain eye contact …

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b) For brief periods at first, in order to build up trust.

c) Constantly, until they’re too far away for you to see their eyes.

2. When talking to a stranger, how close should you stand?

a) Personal space varies with the individual, so it’s best to be generous – about an arm’s length.

b) If a person can’t feel your hot breath on their face, they’ll just think you’re aloof.

c) Not so close that you’re actually touching the person, although that’s just one magistrate’s opinion.

Take the Test