GraphologGraphologyy

GraphologGraphologyy

Malia BenderMalia BenderDebunking PseudoscienceDebunking Pseudoscience

What is graphology & whose brilliant idea was

it?• The study of handwriting • Goal - to determine characteristics

of the writer• 1800’s - Jean-Hippolyte Michon &

The Society of Graphology

Graphologists claimGraphologists claim

• Personality traitsPersonality traits

• Success in careerSuccess in career

• CompatibilityCompatibility

• Health issues Health issues

• Moral issuesMoral issues

• (Graphotherepeutics)(Graphotherepeutics)

What they’re looking forWhat they’re looking for

SizeSize SlantSlant WidthWidth ZonesZones RegularityRegularity MarginMargin

PressurePressure StrokeStroke LinesLines ConnectionConnection Form of connectionForm of connection Word and line Word and line

spacingspacing

Examples of traitsExamples of traits

Analytical thinkingAnalytical thinking

BluntBlunt

Broad-mindedBroad-minded

ConcentrationConcentration

Cultural refinementCultural refinement

Emotional IntesityEmotional Intesity

ForgetfulnessForgetfulness

HumorHumor

RebelliousRebellious

VanityVanity

How much does it cost?How much does it cost?

http://www.handwritingpro.com/profile.hthttp://www.handwritingpro.com/profile.html ml -- $200 -- write about recent activity-- $200 -- write about recent activity

http://ocampa.com/analysis/http://ocampa.com/analysis/ -- $55 -- -- $55 -- write a full page on anything of interestwrite a full page on anything of interest

They have schools for this??They have schools for this??

The Society of GraphologyThe Society of Graphology The Gestalt SchoolThe Gestalt School BooksBooks Self- accredited correspondence Self- accredited correspondence

schools or unaccredited night school schools or unaccredited night school classes classes

Make up your own systemMake up your own system

What the graphologists say . . .

Handwriting is brainwriting Writing is individualized, and personality is

unique so each must reflect each other Writing is a form of expressive movement so it

should reflect our personality The police and courts use graphology so it must

be valid Hard-nosed personnel managers swear by

graphologists’ usefulness in selecting employees It works

People believe this stuff?People believe this stuff?

The Barnum EffectThe Barnum Effect Positive ReinforcementPositive Reinforcement

It’s all pseudoscienceIt’s all pseudoscience

►Unfalsifiable hypothesesUnfalsifiable hypotheses►After-the-fact readingsAfter-the-fact readings►Numerous controlled scientific Numerous controlled scientific

experimentsexperiments► Inconsistency between graphologistsInconsistency between graphologists