Etymology
From Cyrano + -oid, after the character Cyrano de Bergerac in Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play, who famously speaks on behalf of another through concealed means.
Noun
Cyranoid (plural cyranoids)
A person who appears to communicate autonomously but is in fact speaking words transmitted in real time by another individual, typically via a hidden audio device.
Originating in psychological experiments by Stanley Milgram, the “cyranoid method” was developed to explore identity, self-perception, and social interaction. Milgram theorized that by separating thought from speech, individuals might better reflect on their roles and behaviors within social contexts.
Related Media
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) – IMDb
Cyranoid Method: Inspired by the play Cyrano de Bergerac, Milgram created a setup where one person (the “shadower”) would repeat words spoken in real time by another person (the “source”) via a hidden earpiece. The idea was to explore how people respond to the appearance of a speaker versus the content of what’s said. It also offered a way to study how people might gain insight into themselves by hearing their own thoughts spoken by someone else. It’s a bit eerie, but it opened up new ways to study identity, perception, and social interaction.
Cyranoid method (Britannica article)
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