Cold reading

Cold reading is a set of techniques for giving the impression of knowing a great deal about a stranger without any prior information. It combines observation of appearance and reactions, general statements, disguised questions and building on the answers. The psychologist Ray Hyman described it in detail in the 1970s. It can be used deliberately by a con artist, but also unconsciously by a sincere practitioner. Recognizing it makes it possible to tell what was perceived from what was inferred.