Fact of the Day : What is a cyranoid and how did the term originate? (from A Dictionary of Psychology)
cyranoid n. A person interacting with another using responses supplied by a third party through a hidden earphone, the cyranoid thus acting as a medium or go-between, merely repeating words provided by someone else. In a typical use of this technique, a person with severe social skills deficits may conduct what appears to be a sophisticated interaction and may learn by so doing to become more skilled. The concept was introduced by the US psychologist Stanley Milgram (1933–84) in a research grant proposal in 1979 and a paper delivered at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association in Toronto, Canada, in August 1984. cyranic adj. [Named after the balcony scene (Act 3, Scene 6) in the play Cyrano de Bergerac (1897) by the French poet and dramatist Edmond Rostand (1868–1918) in which Christian, a handsome but inarticulate nobleman, stands in front of Roxane's balcony and declares his love for her, using words whispered to him by Cyrano, who is hiding below the balcony]
How to cite this entry:
"cyranoid n." A Dictionary of Psychology. Edited by Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 13 August 2011
"cyranoid n." A Dictionary of Psychology. Edited by Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 13 August 2011
