  Interactive technologies are getting closer to our bodies and permeate the
infrastructure of our homes. While such technologies offer many benefits, they
can also cause an initial feeling of unease in users. It is important for
Human-Computer Interaction to manage first impressions and avoid designing
technologies that appear creepy. To that end, we developed the Perceived
Creepiness of Technology Scale (PCTS), which measures how creepy a technology
appears to a user in an initial encounter with a new artefact. The scale was
developed based on past work on creepiness and a set of ten focus groups
conducted with users from diverse backgrounds. We followed a structured process
of analytically developing and validating the scale. The PCTS is designed to
enable designers and researchers to quickly compare interactive technologies
and ensure that they do not design technologies that produce initial feelings
of creepiness in users.
