The Haunt Method · interpretive tool

The Uncanniness Index

What makes something feel wrong?
The uncanny appears when something familiar no longer fits the explanation we normally use for it. The Uncanniness Index looks at how a scene, prop, object or effect creates that feeling—and what might make it stronger.

This is not simply a scariness score. It is a transparent design framework, not objective science; the visual profile matters more than the headline number.

Stage 1 ? Recognize ? Question 1 of 10

How quickly can a visitor name what the subject is?

Stage 1 ? Recognize ? Question 2 of 10

How much of the subject or cause is visible at once?

Stage 1 ? Recognize ? Question 3 of 10

Does it behave as its familiar category should?

Stage 1 ? Recognize ? Question 4 of 10

Does it appear to notice, choose or respond?

Stage 2 ? Question ? Question 5 of 10

Is there evidence of something unseen?

Stage 2 ? Question ? Question 6 of 10

Must the visitor infer what happened before arriving?

Stage 2 ? Question ? Question 7 of 10

What happens when the visitor learns more?

Stage 3 ? Leave unresolved ? Question 8 of 10

Does the subject imply spaces or events beyond the frame?

Stage 3 ? Leave unresolved ? Question 9 of 10

What remains unresolved after the encounter?

Stage 3 ? Leave unresolved ? Question 10 of 10

Would a full explanation remove the effect?

How the profile works

Observable questions in, visible reasoning out.

Each answer contributes to seven ten-point dimensions. The comparison score summarizes the profile, but the profile shape and strengthening move matter more than one number.

Familiarity

How recognizable is it?

Violation

What breaks the expectations created by that familiarity?

Ambiguity

How easily can someone explain what is happening?

Agency

Does anything seem to notice, respond or act on its own?

Imagination

How much does the observer have to fill in?

Revelation

How much is shown, hidden or delayed?

Aftereffect

Does the idea survive after the immediate scare is over?

How much does it imply?

Does it suggest spaces, creatures, events or causes beyond what can be seen?

Interpretive status: The Uncanniness Index is an initial framework published by The Haunt Method. It diagnoses design choices; it does not measure a universal psychological property.