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Clérambault’s syndrome

a form of erotic paranoia in which a person has delusions that someone else, who is typically older and of higher social status, is in love with him or her. The person continues to hold this belief despite having little contact with the other person and no reciprocation of feelings. The condition is more common in females than in males. Also called de Clérambault’s syndrome. [first described in 1922 by Gaëtan Gatian de Clérambault (1872–1934), French physician]

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Psychology term of the day

March 17th 2025

dominance–subordination

dominance–subordination

a form of social relationship within groups with a leader or dominant member who has priority of access to resources over other, subordinate members of the community. Among nonhuman animals, dominance–subordination relationships are highly organized in troops of baboons, in which dominant males have more access to food resources and mates than do subordinate males and all males often appear to have dominance over females. In hyena groups, the relationship is reversed, with males subordinate to females.