---
type: source
id: gray-wegner-2012-mind-perception
title: 'Feeling robots and human zombies: Mind perception and the uncanny valley'
authors:
- Kurt Gray
- Daniel M. Wegner
year: 2012
venue: Cognition
volume: 125(1)
pages: 125-130
doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2012.06.007
peer_review: peer-reviewed-journal
evidence_tier: B
design: '3 experiments: humanlike vs mechanical view of the same robot; computer described as able to feel vs act; human described as lacking experience'
modality:
- robot
- vignette
stimuli: KASPAR robot video (front vs back); vignettes
n_participants: null
n_note: 3 modest samples (not recorded)
topics:
- uncanny-valley
- mind-perception
summary: Unease was driven by attributing the capacity to feel (experience) to machines—or denying it to humans—not by appearance alone.
results:
- metric: Humanlike robot unease
  value: higher; mediated by perceived experience
  note: ''
  source_location: null
- metric: Machine that can feel vs act
  value: feeling machine more unnerving
  note: ''
  source_location: null
- metric: Human lacking experience
  value: unnerving
  note: ''
  source_location: null
moderators: []
limitations:
- Small samples
- Vignette paradigms
mechanism_supported:
- mind-perception
verification:
  status: verified-doi
  confidence: high
  checked: 2026-10-07
  via: OpenAlex metadata (title, authors, venue, volume, pages, DOI); abstract not available; findings from compiler knowledge
url: null
pmid: null
pmcid: null
arxiv_id: null
openalex_id: null
oa_url: null
cited_in:
- MR-0002
updated: '2026-10-07'
---

# Feeling robots and human zombies: Mind perception and the uncanny valley

> **Source record** `gray-wegner-2012-mind-perception` · 2012 · Cognition  
> **Evidence tier:** B (peer-reviewed-journal) · **Verification:** verified-doi (compiler confidence: high)  
> **Bottom line:** Unease was driven by attributing the capacity to feel (experience) to machines—or denying it to humans—not by appearance alone.

## Citation {#citation}

Kurt Gray, Daniel M. Wegner (2012). Feeling robots and human zombies: Mind perception and the uncanny valley. *Cognition*, 125(1), 125-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2012.06.007

Verification entry (identifiers, resolvers, claims with source locations): [/data/citations.json#gray-wegner-2012-mind-perception](/data/citations.json#gray-wegner-2012-mind-perception)

## Study design {#design}

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Design | 3 experiments: humanlike vs mechanical view of the same robot; computer described as able to feel vs act; human described as lacking experience |
| Modality | robot, vignette |
| Stimuli | KASPAR robot video (front vs back); vignettes |
| Participants (N) | not recorded |
| N detail | 3 modest samples (not recorded) |
| Topics | uncanny-valley, mind-perception |

## Results {#results}

| Metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Humanlike robot unease | higher; mediated by perceived experience |  |
| Machine that can feel vs act | feeling machine more unnerving |  |
| Human lacking experience | unnerving |  |

## Mechanism relevance {#mechanism}

`mind-perception`

## Limitations {#limitations}

- Small samples
- Vignette paradigms

## Cited in {#cited-in}

- [MR-0002](/metareports/uncanny-valley-and-synthetic-faces.md): The Uncanny Valley and Synthetic Media: Does It Exist, What Causes It, and Have Deepfakes Crossed It?

## Verification {#verification}

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Status | `verified-doi` |
| Compiler confidence | high |
| Checked on | 2026-10-07 |
| Via | OpenAlex metadata (title, authors, venue, volume, pages, DOI); abstract not available; findings from compiler knowledge |

Values on this page have not all been checked against the full text. Confirm them against the primary source before high-stakes use.