GRAPHOLOGY

• The written movement is under the direct influence of the central nervous system which comprises the brain, the cerebellum and the spinal fluid. The form of the written movement is not modified by the writing organ (mouth, hand, foor, arm) if this functions normally and is sufficiently well adapted to its function.
• When we write, the 'ego' is active but it is not always active to the same degree. Its activity comes and goes, 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.
• We cannot voluntarily modify our natural writing at any given time without putting into it the marks of the effort required to obtain the change.
• The writer who writes under circumstances where the action of writing is particularly difficult, will instinctively use either the forms of letters which are most familiar to him, or forms of letters which are simplest and easiest to write.
• The physiological mechanism which produces the written movement correlates with the state of the central nervous system and varies in accordance with it. The written strokes, therefore, correspond to the constitutional varieties of the nervous system and to the momentary modifications of each nervous system.
• One must examine the significance of a handwriting trait by considering it as a physiological movement, and by comparing the quality, overall size, regularity, and consistency of energy with the corresponding psychological movement.
• There are no independent signs; there are only general indications which may have different forms. The significance of these can be assessed accurately by tracing them back to their origins and adapting the meaning of the latter to the conditions of the milieu in which the form appears.
• One graphological sign does not necessarily represent a single character trait. For example, rising handwriting may indicate ardour, activity, ambition, momentary joy or folly. The value of a sign depends upon its cause, its context and its intensity. Handwriting which slopes downwards for instance, may reveal a passing anxiety, habitual depression or simply bad positioning of the paper.

Principles of Graphology

The principles that one uses are based upon which approach one takes. The field is rife with practitioners of one approach calling practitioners of the other approach charlatans, frauds, and the like. Carroll v State [ 276 Ark 160; 634 SW 2d 99, 101-102 (1982) ] being a demonstration of just what each side resorts to, when push comes to shove, in the court room.

The approaches to handwriting analysis are:

• Integrative Graphology

• Holistic Graphology

This is commonly, but incorrectly referred to as 'Gestalt Graphology'. Gestalt Graphology was a system of handwriting analysis developed circa 1920 in Germany.

In this approach a personality profile is constructed on the basis of combining different things in the script, such as polarity, margins, pressure and spacing.

[Add: Technical vocabulary? Muller-Enskat Protokol? Wittlich Character Diagram? Psychograph? Psychogram? ( which version - Anthony, Cole, Roman? )

• Symbolic Analysis

• Integrative and Holistic Blends

Employment Profiling

• Gilbert v California

• US v Dionisio

• US v Mara aka Marasovich

• US v Rosinsky

• United States v Wade

They are all related to obtaining samples for comparison with documents, sound recordings etc and used to determine whether or not the individual who provided the sample, is the same person as created the evidence that they have. Nothing to do with permission to do a psychological analysis is even implied.

[Kanfer] claimed that he could detect cancer from an analysis of handwriting, years before doctors could detect it. Subsequent studies failed to support his findings.

[Somebody else needs to write the medical stuff. I haven't run a MEDLARS search recently, and don't have copies of the papers cited in there on graphology anymore. :-( ]

What is the attitude of law courts to Questioned Document Examination?

Goodtitle Drevett v Braham 100 Eng Rep 1139 (1792) is probably the first case at which the testimony of a questioned document examiner was accepted.

Cameron v Knapp ( 520 NY 2nd 917, 917-18: New York Superior Court 1987 )

Carroll v State probably will be best remembered for why graphologists should not be allowed to testify.

Divination

The code of ethics for the International Graphoanalysis Society prohibits the practice of anything related to the Occult. This is one of the practices that is prohibited under that article.

External Links