In psychosexual development, the passages are described by Freud as critical moments that do not always travel naturally towards each other to the arrival of conflicting conditions or, to use a term introduced by him, for not overcoming the complex or the trauma or of the shock occurred. The connotations of projective tests are according to Frank, therefore, linked to the lack of a structured stimulus, the wide range of response options [18]. In this regard, we consider essential, in the debate on the function and meaning of graphology, the considerations offered by Paola Urbani in the book Process to graphology. In Lindeman opinion, confirmation bias would be ascribable to the so-called Barnum effect, with regard to which people would believe in horoscopes as such under the awning of the Phineas Taylor Barnums famous circus live together so many different characters and numbers that everyone can find something fun, through the paradigm of Barnum effect it has been then explained the reason for the success of the circus [118, 120-123]. The several schools born for the study of handwriting, using different methods and techniques, must be able to come to the same evidence, referring to certain theoretical assumptions which have been summarized by Bell [13, 14]. In accordance with this correlation, the author led to further investigations that identified aspects graphometrically identifiable on character traits of extroversion or similar to some inner conflict [53]. Ben Shakhar G, Bar Hillel M, Bilu Y, Ben Abba E, Flug A (1986) Can graphology predict occupational success? In the second half of the nineteenth century, between 1806 and 1881, in France, the Abb Jean-Hippolyte Michon coined the term graphology catalogued as a series of recurrent graphic signs and empirically linked to specific aspects of the character. Outcomes demonstrated that individuals affected by schizophrenia spectrum disorder or bipolar disorder manifested significant motor impairments [65]. Berninger, Virginia W, Winn WD (2006) Implications of Advancements in Brain Research and Technology for Writing Development, Writing Instruction, and Educational Evolution. Urbani P (2004) Processo alla grafologia: magia, arte o scienza? It is the use of a soft-edge brush to play as a form of art, special Chinese characters on the moves of the great masters. Among the best-known examples, the test of Inkblots of Rorschach is most fitting [16]. Cohen L, Dehaene S (2004) Specialization within the ventral stream: the case for the visual word form area. In the alteration of this mechanism the motor slowing, for example, represents an important aspect of depression, Mergl et al. In particular, it is interesting to quote the views of authors such as Dazzi and Pedrabissi attributing the graphology a title in evaluating the authenticity or otherwise of a writing; in their view it would seem likely recognize the writing of his own hand by a human being in the nature of a fingerprint that allows to operate checks and calligraphic examination in the protocols used in forensics such as wills, documents written by the hand of a person and referring to that person [24]. They are the expression of the ancestral experience of man. Graphology developed in conjunction with psychiatry in Europe, not with popular psychology as it did here in the United States. King RN, Koehler DJ (2000) Illusory correlations in graphological inference. Outcomes provided a higher correlation between the data obtained from some graphological signs such as, upper zone, lower zone, the angle of the line, the depth and the distance from the margins compared to the questionnaire of the predictive capabilities of academic success. iv) In the left frontal lobe, Exners area is responsible for writing and reading and it appears especially relevant in orthographic or graphemic representations as well as in retrieving letter shapes from memory [74, 87-89]. Handwriting analysis draws reliable conclusions about the spirit personality of a writer. In other words, in each individual revived the experiences with which the previous generations phylogenetically reacted. definition of GRAPHOLOGY (Psychology Dictionary) GRAPHOLOGY By N., Sam M.S. Handwriting represents one of the most important elements of development in human culture. have contested to graphology the usefulness of a reliable methodology [102-104]. (2019) The effect of task complexity on handwriting kinetics. Even in a study archival of 73 men and 168 women on the signature and the results of the scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 was observed a correspondence between graphological signs and psychological perception of their gender identity [55]. Handwriting for graphology was and is still regarded as an expression of projective aspects of the self of the person in the same way psychology uses projective techniques. This is an example of how it is applied in psychology, counseling, and education. In particular, a low score in both revealed a cognitive impairment. The extension of the graphological methodology also in the field of dentistry in a survey of 2013 differentiated behaviours and psychological tendencies manifested during the application of the prosthesis in relation to the emotional state [56]. Graphology is based on the premise that writing is a form of expressive behavior, although there is little empirical evidence for its validity. Bradley N (1985) How hypothesis testing can help graphology. Graphology, in fact, attest its usefulness in gaining valuable insights about the character; in general, it can highlight elements such as vitality, energy, strength of will, originality, characteristics of intelligence and at the same time, any specific deficiencies, as a state of mental weakness, conditions of anxiety, emotional distress, and poor level of self-esteem. The results showed an acceptable level of correspondence and reliability of the graphological instruments such as to constitute an additional element in decision making in psychiatry and internal medicine. In 2013, Gawda hypothesized to verify specific signs in handwriting referable to a major depressive disorder in a group of 30 patients who received this diagnosis compared to a control group of 60 healthy individuals and another group of 60 persons suffering from a bipolar disorder of which 30 in the depressive phase and other 30 in that manic phase [47]. Although the cerebellum has been associated with written word production, its specificity has not been clearly identified probably because the cerebellum is a complex structure involved in several functions such as motor learning, coordination of voluntary movements, cognitive functions, maintenance of balance and posture. Results in this study showed that brain activity predominantly correlated with the right hemisphere indicating a greater neural efficiency positively modulated in the right hemisphere [57]. Graphology, also known as graphoanalysis, is a process that is used by some to attempt to determine personality traits and details about a person based off of their handwriting. Lin YC, Chao YL, Hsu CH, Hsu HM, Chen PT et al. Returning to the source of the frontal writing centre hypothesis. found an activation of neurons of the parietal cortex around the left superior parietal area which is part of the writing centers as reported by Sugihara et al. Graphology is the scientific study and analysis of handwriting. It began in 1871 by Jean-Hippolyte MIchon, and it is still popular in Europe, especially France. Finally, Brewer has argued that, with respect to nursing care, graphology has been an aid to the understanding and possible hidden inner conflicts in students, nurses and other health professionals [38]. The instrument of undisputed psychometric and structural value is the projective test of investigation of the personality based on the inkblots of Hermann Rorschach and which we believe represents a wonderful means of scientific craftsmanship. The act of writing, then, follows temporal dimensions related to the more or less rapid succession of letters, not apart from temporal conditions with different trends. Bern. 2. The Abb Jean-Hippolyte Michon devoted himself to the study of graphic signs cataloging and tracking down characteristic meanings of personality on empirical basis. These forms of meditation attested by instrumental data obtained, a brain activation, a regularized activity of the immune system, better intellectual capabilities. Domain specific cognitive impairments following focal damage in frontal cortex. Carl Gustav Jung (1985) Lio e linconscio. Graphology is the study of handwriting and handprints. Shackleton, Viv Newell S, Day AL (1994) European management selection methods: A comparison of five countries. The interpretation also considered comparisons between productions of the same writer and graphic elements of interpretation derived from empirical data of previous researchers. In addition, the graphic aspects such as the pressure of writing on the paper, the size of the letters, the closure or not of the letter o, speed, etc. In England, the Czech-born Robert Saudek (1880-1935) became interested in experiments of comparison with stroboscopic movement cinema and movement measurement in handwriting, developing a rigorous and mechanized method to define scientifically the concept of speed coming to formulate graphic laws at the base of the graphomotor gesture. Graumann considered the use of the graphological tool in monitoring conducted on the progress of psychotherapy about the possibility of a developmental progression of personality in the course of treatment. The . On the contrary, regarding the belief that graphology is widely used in the selection of personnel in Europe, Bangerter et al. recognizing to graphology an interest of modest proportions, ascertained common evidence among the findings from some graphological studies and deductible instead in his opinion even from simple impressions deduced by nave in graphology placed in front of the same writings [105]. Lowis and Mooney examined whether specific components of the writing of a sample of 100 students could connect to the personality traits and the success that they obtained in written examinations [107]. In substance, it has been produced an assimilation between procedures concerning the personality evaluation and ranging from graphology to astrology, numerology up to include alternative forms of medicine such as osteopathy and acupuncture. Nezos R (1992) Graphology. Marianna Mazza, Regional Office Americas: Graphology is a discipline that investigates personality and intellect of the individual through writing, indeed handwriting of the human being is an expression of his or her essence. According to the authors, therefore, the practice of writing Chinese calligraphy could be used to improve the mental and physical health through stress reduction. This opportunity could emerge along a gestaltic continuum that starts from the identification of characteristics of the person, accompanies the maturing evolution of the human being up to constitute as a tool of monitoring and verification complementary to the progress of a psychotherapeutic process, passing also for neurophysiopathological stages as well as those of application in rehabilitation techniques. People who are into psychology and want to explore a . The authors presented an activation of right cerebellum, in particular it has been reported increased cerebellar activation in the right anterior cerebellum and in the right posterior cerebellum [90]. It is a test that is based on psychoanalysis, in the projective techniques and investigation in order to issue the evaluation and analysis of the characteristics of the personality of the consultant. The Shadow constitutes that set of removed dispositions integrated to the global personality in a guise of contraposition to the imposed predispositions present in the Person enclosing forever useful values to the conscience and to the completion of the personality, even if difficult to integrate in life. It is also known as 'the writing of the brain'. Graphology. Handwritings analysis of these persons has also allowed the identification of a capacity not yet developed, and to invest in the right direction [21, 38]. Vanini C, Bernard A (1986) La graphologie: manuel pratique. Rassegna di Neuropsichiatria. Other works vice versa argue that through the use of graphology can be drawn some personality traits [109-114]. Crpieux Jamin (1947) Lcriture et le caractre. They conducted a study on a sample of 46 university students, and factor analysis showed three different writing styles correlate to the three dimensions of character indicated. The two have distinctive goals, training, and practices, but some psychologists integrate the two. Therefore, the assignment of managerial skills would result rather vague and banal for the author, easily found in the thought of the common man. Stoodley C, Schmahmann J (2009) Functional topography in the human cerebellum: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. graphology. Graphology is defined as "The art that expects to find out, due to the characteristics of letters, some of the psychological traits of the writer". The words that are written somehow tell the story of those who produced them partly in a language of movement and partly in a language of symbolic images; psychiatry and psychology, by approaching graphology, can acquire useful clinical information to outline a personality profile [124-126]. The perceptual stimulus of the spots, similar, in our opinion, to the phenomenon described by Jaspers of pareidolia, devoid of defined and recognizable formal connotations, this perceptive phenomenon evokes a subjective processing of apperception by the person who transfers something characteristic of his inner world to the image he analysed [17]. carried out five studies, which respectively revealed that job advertisements rarely require handwritten letters; these are seldom used for the analysis of handwriting; it has been overestimated the frequency with which handwritten letters are graphologically analysed; whether handwritten letters are requested, the candidates are expected to be examined also through handwriting analysis; finally, the evaluation of handwriting in personnel selection would seem to be overestimated by the candidates with respect to its use [28]. Learn more. During its beginnings, Graphology tried to get to know the individual, analyzing the different characters of writing. Between 1889 and 1978 the Estonian psychologist Ania Teillard before he dedicated herself to the study of Jung and later became a pupil of Klages and established contacts with Pulver, Saudek and Crpieux-Jamin. Brewer J (1985) Graphology: pen and paper diagnosis. For Jung, the Person on a symbolic level represents a cover that does not coincide with the true reality of the individual, in fact it is opposed by that other side of ourselves, part of the Personal Unconscious, called Ombra the dark brother who, although invisible, is inseparable from us and is part of our totality [12]. Yanagita M, Willcox BJ, Masaki KH, Chen R, He Q et al. Only in Europe in 1985 Sharma and Vardhan had found that 85% of jobs working on farms was based also the use of graphology [27]. In this connection it may be interesting to remember that sometimes the activity of the cerebellum is evident even when the writing is imagined and when the control activity involves a manual motor task [90, 95]. The findings from these studies, along with those mainly provided by clinical literature examining correlations between lesions and deficits, have promoted important insights into the neurobiology of writing activities. (2019) Handwriting Features of Multiple Drawing Tests for Early Detection of Alzheimers Disease: A Preliminary Result. Graphology TS L (1996) undefined. At work, the model found application in graphological personnel selection. Gawda B (2013) Little evidence for the graphical markers of depression. Gimenez P, Bugescu N, Black JM, Hancock R, Pugh K et al. James KH (2010) Sensori-motor experience leads to changes in visual processing in the developing brain. So, unlike psychology, which is "the science concerned with the mind and mental processes," Webster's does not regard graphology to be a "science." What, then, is Webster's definition of a "science"? The areas have moved from the legal sciences, to the identification of personal characteristics compatible with the labour market including the management of human resources, contributions have been directed to the medical, psychological, psychopathological, neuropsychiatric-child and neuroscience disciplines, to the evaluation of evolution of the individual starting from childhood and pedagogy [127]. Handb multisensory Process Cambridge, Mass MIT Press. The author mentions terms such as graphotherapy and palmistry named in the book of Watson. . conducted a study with the aim to investigate the level of accuracy in capturing data related to psychiatric conditions associated with suicide attempts from handwriting analysis produced by a sample of 40 people who had executed the attempt compared to a control group of 40 healthy people [51]. MacMillan Co: New York. Van Gemmert AW, Teulings HL, Contreras Vidal JL, Stelmach GE (1999) Parkinsons disease and the control of size and speed in handwriting. Dazzi C, Pedrabissi L (2009) Graphology and Personality: An Empirical Study on Validity of Handwriting Analysis. Murthy JV, Singh S, Shakila R, Shastri M (2013) Comparison of Graphoanalysis with House Method in Prediction of Complete Denture Patients Mental Attitude: A Prospective Comparative Study. What is Graphology? This is the first reflection which aims to delineate clearly the identity of graphology, facing with critical rigor the epistemic contradictions and doubts related to this discipline to outline horizons in which systematizing its contribution. Correlations with Measures of Perception, Cognitive Function, and Personality. Graphology Handwriting Analysis is the science of finding someone's personality by look at their Handwriting, you can get to know about relationships, finances, self-image, couple compatibility, communication skills, confidence and many other aspects of personality with just handwriting! The authors provided novel neural evidence for abstract and modality-specific representations of letters and identifies the specific neural substrates in which these different representational types are instantiated. A case study of a job market myth. Bertolino M, Steiner DD (2007) Fairness Reactions to Selection Methods: An Italian study. In addition, the precision of the estimates did not depend on the contents of the writings, although the handwritten texts were spontaneously produced [115]. Such activation is explained as the result of motor control functions derived from complex finger movements [94]. This manuscript aims to provide a quantitative picture of the handwriting analysis trying to combine insights from different sources and exploring conditions, limits and possibilities of its subject matter and methods involved. The French graphologist selected 200 graphological signs that gathered in seven categories consisted of: size, shape, pressure, speed, direction, layout and continuity, all addressed in the unicum of a gestalt. Grace et al. The theoretical system of graphology, based on physiology and psychology and its connection with the other branches of characterology, was the work of the German school. Handwriting is an X-ray of the mind. Also called hand writing analysis. (2007) Graphology for the diagnosis of suicide attempts: a blind proof of principle controlled study. Panton and co-workers provide a quantitative review and synthesis of findings from functional neuroimaging studies [90]. The oldest interest towards graphology has been found in India and starting from the year 2000 B. C. it spreads in China, where the art of writing has been also carried out in order to understand the nature of man [4]. The persistence of one of these phases in the adult personality will determine its character. We have gradually focused on the description of the various fields with which, over time until today, the graphologists have dealt according to experimental and epistemological methodologies along a spectrum that ranges from studies on the character, the neuronal and biological correlates, the use in the forensic field, until to the contributions to career counseling and personnel selection. Dean DJ, Teulings HL, Caligiuri M, Mittal VA (2013) Handwriting analysis indicates spontaneous dyskinesias in neuroleptic nave adolescents at high risk for psychosis. Robertson I MP, Makin PJ (1986) Management selection in Britain: A survey and critique. Petrides M, Pandya DN (1984) Projections to the frontal cortex from the posterior parietal region in the rhesus monkey. On the other hand, it is also reported in the literature that numerous companies of significant size make use of the services of graphology for trace elements and information about personality based on the assumption that handwriting and personality differ from person to person; according to what it is believed, therefore, that in the handwriting emerge aspects and features relating to the person who writes [37]. Among these, the left frontal superior sulcus area, the left superior parietal area and the right anterior cerebellum represent the areas that have shown a reliable and repetitive activation during handwriting and it does suggest a possible important role played in writing processes in accordance with the perspective taken into account by Sugihara and colleagues that have defined the posterior end of the superior frontal gyrus and the anterior part of the left superior parietal area as writing centers [91]. Men such as Jung, Freud, and numerous other scientists were. Bollati Boringhieri. The traditional screening methods are not able to tell you about a person's hidden attributes. Robert derived from his studies that the negative mood was linked to the letters dissociated and the conduct of the graphic layout [44]. Instrumental analysis highlighted specifically a dysfunction of the basal ganglia and/or reduced activity of the sensorimotor cortex and supplementary motor area as a possible substrate for hand-motor disorders in depression. considered, unlike projective tests, graphology as a test sufficiently structured inherent in the writing itself and the lack of consideration of the textual content constituted one of the elements being assessed in responses to projective tests [13]. Although incidence and prevalence rates are difficult to establish, attention has been focused mostly on whether prevalence is increasing with time and on the relationship between the number of graphology and active working population (Figure 1) [2]. The patients presented a breakdown in their ability to control and regulate their handwriting movements compared to the control group ant these outcomes represented implications for the school-aged child who were constantly involved in handwriting tasks within the classroom environment. The interpretative hypothesis in these cases was that of a conversion of the symptom expression, which is not necessarily obvious to all patients in treatment. Caligiuri MP, Teulings HL, Filoteo JV, Song D, Lohr JB (2006) Quantitative measurement of handwriting in the assessment of drug-induced parkinsonism. The author insisted on the prerequisites of the experience, training and observation in the use of tools of graphology, not separated even by good psychological skills. n. the study of the physical characteristics of handwriting, particularly as a means of inferring the writer's psychological state or personality characteristics. Handwriting analysis dates back to many centuries ago. Hirsh HN (1987) Review of Baruch: the Scientific Aspects of graphology. De Rosa AG, Pacini A, Scaroni E, Riccardo F, Nardi L et al. We have therefore proceeded to recognize, in the scientific sphere, the terms and definitions that have, with time, increasingly outlined its status. Nevertheless, for Blinkhorn handwriting represents a part of the self-presentation, excluding the relationship between the elements of the formation of a letter, the size, direction and continuity of the letters of handwriting and individual characteristics. Roux FE, Draper L, Kpke B, Dmonet JF (2010) Who actually read Exner? In Italy, the founder of graphology in Ancona, is considered the Father Girolamo Moretti (1879-1963), who wrote under the pseudonym of Umberto Koch, the manual of graphology and the first of many editions of the Treaty of graphology which is still now used.