---
type: source
id: mori-2012-uncanny-valley
title: The uncanny valley [From the Field]
authors:
- Masahiro Mori
- Karl F. MacDorman
- Norri Kageki
year: 2012
venue: IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine
volume: 19(2)
pages: 98-100
doi: 10.1109/MRA.2012.2192811
peer_review: essay
evidence_tier: C
design: Authorised English translation of Mori's 1970 essay 'Bukimi no tani' (Energy 7(4):33-35). Theoretical, non-empirical.
modality:
- robot
- prosthetic
stimuli: Thought experiment (industrial robot, toy robot, prosthetic hand, bunraku puppet, corpse, zombie)
n_participants: null
n_note: non-empirical
topics:
- uncanny-valley
- theory
summary: Proposes that affinity rises with human likeness, drops sharply just short of full likeness, then recovers; movement amplifies the curve; designers should aim for the first peak.
results:
- metric: Hypothesised curve
  value: non-monotonic (valley near high human likeness)
  note: y-axis 'shinwakan' variously translated as affinity/familiarity
  source_location: null
moderators:
- Movement deepens the valley (hypothesised)
limitations:
- Not empirically derived
mechanism_supported:
- human-likeness
verification:
  status: unverified
  confidence: high
  checked: null
  via: 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'
---

# The uncanny valley [From the Field]

> **Source record** `mori-2012-uncanny-valley` · 2012 · IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine  
> **Evidence tier:** C (essay) · **Verification:** unverified (compiler confidence: high)  
> **Bottom line:** Proposes that affinity rises with human likeness, drops sharply just short of full likeness, then recovers; movement amplifies the curve; designers should aim for the first peak.

## Citation {#citation}

Masahiro Mori, Karl F. MacDorman, Norri Kageki (2012). The uncanny valley [From the Field]. *IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine*, 19(2), 98-100. https://doi.org/10.1109/MRA.2012.2192811

Verification entry (identifiers, resolvers, claims with source locations): [/data/citations.json#mori-2012-uncanny-valley](/data/citations.json#mori-2012-uncanny-valley)

## Study design {#design}

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Design | Authorised English translation of Mori's 1970 essay 'Bukimi no tani' (Energy 7(4):33-35). Theoretical, non-empirical. |
| Modality | robot, prosthetic |
| Stimuli | Thought experiment (industrial robot, toy robot, prosthetic hand, bunraku puppet, corpse, zombie) |
| Participants (N) | not recorded |
| N detail | non-empirical |
| Topics | uncanny-valley, theory |

## Results {#results}

| Metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hypothesised curve | non-monotonic (valley near high human likeness) | y-axis 'shinwakan' variously translated as affinity/familiarity |

## Moderators {#moderators}

- Movement deepens the valley (hypothesised)

## Mechanism relevance {#mechanism}

`human-likeness`

## Limitations {#limitations}

- Not empirically derived

## 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 | `unverified` |
| Compiler confidence | high |
| Checked on | — |
| Via | 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.