Graphology is the study and analysis of handwriting especially in relation to human psychology. In the medical field, it can be used to refer to the study of handwriting as an aid in diagnosis and tracking of diseases of the brain and nervous system. The term is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to forensic document examination.
Graphology has been controversial for more than a century. Although supporters point to the anecdotal evidence of thousands of positive testimonials as a reason to use it for personality evaluation, most empirical studies fail to show the validity claimed by its supporters. Graphology is now generally considered a pseudoscience.
Etymology
Graphology : graphos (from the Greek γράφειν: writing) / logos (from the Greek λόγος: debate). It is a generic, as for instance: Anthropology, Psychology, Biology, Geology. With the lexeme Grapho (from the Greek: γράφειν ) there are many words generic: Graphopatology, Graphomaniac, Graphistic, Graphopsychology, psychoGraphology, Graphometric, Graphometry, Graphoanalysis, Graphotechnology.
Basic tenets
Graphology is based upon the following basic assertions:
- When we write, the ego is active but it is not always active to the same degree. Its activity waxes and wanes; being at its highest level when an effort has to be made by the writer and at its lowest level when the motion of the writing organ has gained momentum and is driven by it.
- When the action of writing is comparatively difficult, the writer uses those forms of letters which are simpler or more familiar.
- The muscular movements involved in writing are controlled by the central nervous system. The form of the resultant writing movement is modified further by the flexibly assembled coordinative structures in the hand, arm, and shoulder; which follow the principles of dynamical systems. The specific writing organ (mouth, foot, hand, crook of elbow) is irrelevant if it functions normally and is sufficiently adapted to its function.
- The neurophysiological mechanisms which contribute to the written movement are related to conditions within the central nervous system and vary in accordance with them. The written strokes, therefore, reflect both transitory and long term changes in the central nervous system such as Parkinson's disease, or alcohol usage.
- The movements and corresponding levels of muscular tension in writing are mostly outside of conscious control and subject to the ideomotor effect. Emotion, mental state, and biomechanical factors such as muscle stiffness and elasticity are reflected in a person's handwriting.
- One must examine the handwriting or drawing movements by considering them as movements organized by the central nervous system and produced under biomechanical and dynamical constraints. Given these considerations, graphologists proceed to evaluate the pattern, form, movement, rhythm, quality, and consistency of the graphic stroke in terms of psychological interpretations. Such interpretations vary according to the graphological theory applied by the analyst.
- Most schools of thought in graphology concur that a single graphological element can be a component of many different clusters, with each cluster having a different psychological interpretation. The significance of the cluster can be assessed accurately by tracing each component of the cluster back to their origins and adapting the meaning of the latter to the conditions of the milieu in which the form appears.
Approaches to graphology
There are three approaches to graphology: the integrative approach, the holistic approach, and the symbolic analysis.
Systems of handwriting analysis
Each approach to handwriting analysis has spawned several different systems.
- Integrative Graphology
- Graphoanalysis was the most influential system in the United States, between 1929 and 2000.
- Sistema de Xandró.
- Holistic Graphology
- The psychogram is the only system to have been taught as part of an academic degree, at an accredited institution in the United States.
- The Personal Worth Chart was developed by Handwriting Consultants of San Diego during the early eighties.
- The psychograph was developed by Leslie King during the seventies.
- Wittlich Character Diagram.
- Muller - Enskat Protokol
- Szondi
- Girolamo Moretti
- Augusto Vels
Training
The only academic institutions in the world that currently offer an accredited degree in handwriting analysis are:
- The University of Urbino, Italy: MA (Graphology)
- The LUMSA University in Rome, Italy: BA (Graphology)
- Emerson University College, Buenos Aires, Argentina: BA (Graphology)
- Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona: Spain: MA (Graphology)
Training in the United States
Between 1940 and 1995, New School for Social Research, in New York City, offered a diploma in Graphology. At its peak, the diploma course took 8 semesters, and also included Forensic Document Analysis. This diploma did not have academic accreditation.
From 1970 to 2000, one could obtain a Graphology track Associate Arts Degree from Felician College, in Lodi, NJ. This was the only academic institution in the United States to have offered graphology for an accredited academic degree.
Training in the United States is currently available through correspondence courses. The quality of instructions varies considerably.
Writing systems
The majority of material in the field is oriented towards the Latin Writing system. Courses offered in the subject reflect that bias.
Certification
There is no certification that is generally recognized, either within or outside the field. Certifications are invariably linked to the organization one belongs to, and are no longer recognized when one resigns from the organization.
Vocabulary
Every system of handwriting analysis has its own vocabulary. Even though two or more systems may share the same words, the meanings of those words may be different. The technical meaning of a word used by a handwriting analyst, and the common meaning is not congruent. Resentment, for example, in common usage, means to feel or exhibit annoyance. In Graphoanalysis, the term indicates a fear of imposition.
History
Three books have been claimed to be the first book on graphology:
- Juan Huarte de San Juan's 1575 Examen de ingenios para las ciencias This was first proposed by Jean Charles Gille-Maisani in 1991.
- Prospero Aldorisio's 1611 Idengraphicus nuncius
- Camilo Baldi's Trattado come de una lettera Missiva si conoscano la nature e qualita dello scriviente which was unofficially published in 1622. The 1625 edition was probably the first authorized edition of Baldi's book. In American graphology, this is considered to be the first book.
Around 1830 Abbé Michon became interested in handwriting analysis. He published his findings shortly after founding Société Graphologique in 1871. The most prominent of his disciples was J. Crépieux-Jamin who rapidly published a series of books that were soon published in other languages. Starting from Michon's integrative approach, Crépieux-Jamin ended up with a holistic approach to graphology.
Alfred Binet was convinced to do research into graphology from 1893 to 1907. He ended up calling it "The science of the future", despite graphologists' rejecting the results of his research.
After World War I, interest in graphology continued to spread in Europe as well as the United States. In Germany during the 1920s, Ludwig Klages founded and published his finding in Zeitschrift für Menschenkunde ( Journal for the Study of Mankind ). His major contribution to the field can be found in Handschrift und Charakter .
Thea Stein Lewinson and J. Zubin modified Klage's ideas, based upon their experience working for the U.S. Government, publishing their method in 1942.
In 1929 Milton Bunker founded The American Grapho Analysis Society teaching Graphoanalysis. This organization and its system split the American graphology world in two. Students had to choose between Graphoanalysis or Holistic Graphology. Whilst hard data is lacking, anecdotal evidence indicates that 10% of the members of International Graphoanalysis Society (IGAS) were expelled between 1970 and 1980. By the time Peter Ferrera died in 1991, the decimation of IGAS members had resulted in a decline of the influence of Graphoanalysis, and IGAS on American graphology.
Klara G. Roman was the most prominent of the German refugee scholars. Her books are still considered to be foundations for contemporary American Holistic graphology. She taught at the New School for Social Research in New York, and was succeeded there by Daniel S. Anthony and Florence Anthony.
Handwriting Workshops Unlimited was organized by Charlie Cole as a series of lectures for advanced students of Graphoanalysis. These lectures featured holistic graphologists such as Thea Lewinson and Klara Roman. By 1960 all of the participants had been expelled by IGAS. These individuals went on to form the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation . Late
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