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Some places feel unsettling because they limit what we can see or sense, restrict movement, or leave us unsure how much control we have. In a Watch FCP interview, Knox College psychology professor Frank McAndrew explains how visibility, hiding places and perceived shelter can shape that response—and why concrete can feel either confining or reassuring, depending on the situation.
Why can a place feel unsettling?
A space can feel creepy when it leaves a person uncertain about what is nearby, where a threat might be, or whether there is a way to respond. McAndrew’s interview points to several cues that can contribute: limited sensory information, constrained movement, and a feeling of having little control. These cues do not make every enclosed or quiet place frightening; their effect depends on how a person interprets the setting.
A broader study by McAndrew and Sara S. Koehnke offers context for that uncertainty. Their 2016 exploratory online survey of 1,341 individuals examined creepiness generally, focusing on perceptions of people rather than buildings. The authors reported associations between perceived creepiness, unpredictability and unusual nonverbal behavior, and interpreted creepiness as a possible response to ambiguity about whether a threat is present. The survey does not establish that a particular architectural feature or material causes fear. Read the study, “On the nature of creepiness”.
How visibility and shelter shape a space
Prospect: what you can see
Prospect describes how much of the surroundings a person can see, including whether there are places where something could be concealed. Limited sightlines or areas beyond view may leave someone feeling exposed or unsure of what lies ahead.
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Refuge: where you might feel protected
Refuge is the sense of being sheltered or protected. A nook or enclosed area may offer a feeling of cover, but it can also make it harder to see what is happening outside it or to leave. The same setting can therefore feel protective to one person and restrictive to another, depending on the perceived threat and available choices.
McAndrew draws on prospect and refuge as useful concepts for thinking about how people read environments. They are not a universal law or a formula for designing a room: a 2016 meta-analysis found quantitative support for prospect-refuge theory to be inconsistent. See the meta-analysis.
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What concrete contributes—and what it does not prove
Concrete may be read as an obstacle to getting out, which can add to a sense of vulnerability. But if someone fears a threat outside, the same solid enclosure may feel protective. In McAndrew’s account, the material’s meaning depends on the psychological qualities of the space and the situation a person imagines.
As McAndrew puts it: “So it’s not really the concrete per se. That’s just the material that’s being used to construct the more psychological aspects of the space that you’re in.” He also suggests that smooth, finished walls can signal that a space is intended for people to spend time in. That is an observation in the interview, not a tested rule that a particular concrete finish will reliably make a space welcoming or frightening.
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The feature is an explanatory interview, not a product test or a prescriptive design standard. Its discussion does not show that concrete itself causes fear, or that a specific finish changes how people feel in a predictable way. Watch the For Construction Pros interview with Frank McAndrew.
A practical way to think about a creepy place
When trying to understand why a setting feels unsettling, consider the cues McAndrew discusses rather than treating any one material or feature as the cause:
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- Visibility: What can you see, and what remains out of sight?
- Concealment and shelter: Are there places to hide, and do they feel protective or trapping?
- Movement: Do you feel free to move or leave?
- Sensory information: Can you hear or otherwise sense what is happening around you?
- Control: Do you feel able to respond if something unexpected happens?
These are explanatory dimensions, not a validated scorecard for rating spaces or predicting how everyone will react. Research on natural settings has examined accessibility, prospect and refuge in relation to perceived danger, fear and restoration, but it is not a direct test of concrete interiors. Read the study of spatial cues in natural settings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Further reading on environments and fear
McAndrew’s broader writing connects horror settings with environmental psychology, isolation, architecture and prospect-refuge concepts. Read his article on the psychology of horror settings. For the theoretical background to prospect and refuge, Jay Appleton’s The Experience of Landscape is a relevant further read.
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