Handwriting analysis, or graphology, is used to predict personality or verify handwriting in legal cases. Some dismiss it as pseudoscience, but it is still used by some companies in Europe and America to evaluate job candidates. Forensic graphologists may examine handwriting to make statements regarding a subject’s probable personality in criminal cases. There is no certification in the US for graphologists, and the primary means of learning is through correspondence schools, leading some to question its legitimacy as a science.
Handwriting analysis, or graphology, is used in two separate applications. Some graphologists use handwriting to make predictions about personality or the likelihood of certain behaviors. In other cases, it can be used in the legal system to verify that a will is not forged or to identify samples of writing from the same source.
Graphologists suggest that because the process of handwriting is connected to the central nervous system, the way a person writes may indicate certain personality types and traits. Others dismiss this analysis for personality profiling as pseudoscience. However, many companies employ graphologists to evaluate prospective employees’ handwriting. This is especially common in Europe, but American employers use it as one of the tools to select the best candidate for a job. Analyzing the handwriting of people with writing disabilities is not considered valuable research, as there is a clear dysfunction between the body and the brain’s ability to produce appropriate handwriting, and some critics argue that requiring it of a job candidate amounts to unlawful discrimination.
In the criminal justice system, forensic graphologists may examine handwriting to make statements regarding a subject’s probable personality. If it is used, both sides of a case will often employ a handwriting expert to counter the other’s testimony. Forensic graphologists used to have a greater ability to testify in the United States, but changes in the laws in 2001 now allow a judge the discretion to withhold testimony when he believes the statements cannot be scientifically verified.
The legal system also relies on graphology to identify handwriting from the same source. In this way, incriminating written evidence can be compared to a suspect’s handwriting, which could suggest his closeness to or involvement in a crime. Handwriting analysis can also be used to verify the signature on a will or to demonstrate that the appropriate person may not have written legal documents.
There is no certification in the United States for graphologists, although there are several colleges where a person can train specifically in the psychological assessment of handwriting. However, none of these accredited universities are located in the United States; two are in Italy, and there is also a university where you can get a bachelor’s degree in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In the United States, the primary means of learning the trade is through correspondence schools. As a result, many people suggest that handwriting analysis isn’t really a legitimate science, especially since there are so few universities that offer it as such.
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