What are the system requirements?
- Computer:
-
and
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386 PC or higher processor.
Power Mac( with SoftWindows) - Memory:
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4 MB RAM
- Disk Space:
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3 MB
- Operating System:
Windows 32-bit OS:
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Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0, Vista
SoftWindows (using Power Mac). - Other Hardware:
-
CD ROM Reader
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What is Graphology?
Graphology is the study of behavior as it manifests in handwriting. It comes
from two Greek words, ‘graphein,’ which means "to write," and ‘ology’, meaning
"the study of..." Therefore, when combined, Graphology means ‘study of
writing.’
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Where and when did Graphology get its start?
The study of handwriting was mentioned as far back as the days of the Roman
Empire. Tranquillus, the biographer of Augustus Caesar, wrote that the
Emperor’s cramped handwriting showed his stingy nature. Later, in the 1600's,
an Italian physician named Camillo Baldi wrote the first known treatise on
handwriting. However, it was not until 1872 that two French monks, Abbe Michon
and Abbe Flandrin began a systematic study of handwriting and published the
results. In later years, Graphology went to Germany, and eventually to the
United States around the turn of the century.
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Is Graphology an art or a science?
Graphology is generally considered both an art and a science. The scientific
part comes from measuring many aspects of the handwriting. The art of
Graphology is in the interpretation of the measurements and other, more
intuitive, assessments of the overall writing picture.
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How is Graphology used?
While there are numerous applications for Graphology, probably its most common
use in the United States is in pre-employment profiling. A large percentage of
handwriting professionals are hired by businesses to provide behavioral
profiles on job applicants, to help determine whether they are a good match for
the job and the work environment. It is also used in vocational guidance,
compatibility matching, and counseling. A related area is graphotherapy.
Graphotherapy consists of a program of writing or drawing exercises, sometimes
to music, to facilitate making desired changes of undesirable traits. A
separate but related facet of handwriting analysis is Questioned Document
Examination. A document examiner does not consider personality, but examines
two or more handwritings to determine whether they were written by the same
individual.
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How does one become a graphologist?
Unfortunately it is extremely rare to find a school where Graphology is taught
for credit. There are some private teachers who provide courses through
community services or night schools; or who teach in their homes. There are
also some excellent
correspondence schools with training available by
mail.
Sheila Lowe is now offering a self-study program in gestalt
analysis: http://sheilalowe.com/gestalt.html
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Are there organizations for graphologists?
Several non-profit organizations exist to promote education and research in
handwriting. Among the most prominent are American Handwriting Analysis
Foundation (AHAF), American Association of Handwriting Analysts (AAHA), which
offer a reciprocal certification program that is not attached to any particular
school or background. The American Society of Professional Graphologists (ASPG)
and National Society for Graphology (NSG) are also highly respected in the
field.
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What about forensic handwriting authentication?
Forensic handwriting authentication is different from graphology in that it is
the analysis of handwriting for the purpose of identifying or eliminating a
writer. In other words, "did so-and-so write (not write) this signature or
other handwriting?" Sometimes ink and paper examination or other
document-related activities are called for. Some graphologists are also
forensic handwriting examiners, but they receive additional training for this
specialty. The National Association of Document Examiners (NADE) is a
professional organization for handwriting analysts engaging in forensic
handwriting analysis. NADE welcomes handwriting analysts with a graphological
background who also work in handwriting identification if they meet certain
criteria. However, many members of this organization are not graphologists.
Some work in law enforcement agencies or are retired from the FBI. Some other
organizations exist for handwriting analysts in this specialty whose members do
not also engage in graphology.
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Is Graphology really used in 80% of businesses in Europe?
In the early part of the twentieth century, Graphology was a major force in
Europe. It was taught in Universities as part of the Psychology curriculum, and
at one time it was said that 80% of the businesses in France and Germany used
it in employment selection. However, during World War II, Ludwig Klages, a
prominent German graphologist who was friendly with Hitler, was instrumental in
getting all schools of Graphology but his own outlawed in all of Europe. Since
his method was entirely intuitive and only he new how he did it, that put many
graphologists out of business. Since the war, graphologists have quietly gone
about their study, and now, in the 90's we can happily report that it is
experiencing a resurgence of popularity. Graphology groups and organizations
are springing up in England, Spain, Switzerland, France, Hungary, Iceland, The
Netherlands, as well as in Singapore, Israel, China and Japan, as well as other
countries around the world.
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Does handwriting change?
There are said to be more than 2,000 variables in handwriting. Some of these
elements are basic to the very nature of the writer and chosen unconsciously.
On the other hand, some are more superficial and can change with circumstances.
Slant and size are the most common factors which change with mood. For example,
if you are excited or angry, your writing is more likely to grow in size and
slant more to the right. If you are sad, depressed, or concentrating, your
writing probably shrinks and slants upright. The things that are not likely to
change with mood are the spacial arrangement and the basic movement across the
page. However, there is a caveat to that last statement--when the writer
experiences major life changes, their handwriting will usually make some
adjustment to reflect the manner in which s/he has integrated these experiences
into his/her personality. Some changes are temporary and some are more
permanent.
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What is the difference between gestalt and trait-stroke Graphology?
Gestalt is a German term which basically means ‘whole’. In handwriting the word
‘gestalt’ is appropriate when the graphologist is looking at the writing as if
it were a photograph. He analyzes the sample in terms of the arrangement on the
page, form of writing, and movement. He gets an intuitive impression of the
entire writing and is able to make certain assumptions about the writer. The
trait-stroke approach originated with the French method, and is an exploration
of individual elements of writing, which are constructed into a detailed
picture of the personality. It is important to use a combination of both
methods of analysis in order to form a complete picture of the writer.
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Can printing be analyzed?
Using the basic principles of gestalt Graphology as described above, any type of
handwriting or printing can be analyzed. This includes foreign scripts which
the analyst cannot read. By evaluating the arrangement, form, and movement of
the writing, the graphologist is able to formulate an accurate understanding of
the writer. Printing is simply another form of handwriting.
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Can handwriting analysis tell "everything" about a person?
Some handwriting analysts have been heard to say, "I can tell you everything
there is to know about the writer." This statement is patently untrue. Human
beings are far too complex to know "everything" about them. Handwriting tells a
great deal about the writer and gives many clues to their potentials, fears,
and areas for development; but it cannot tell "everything." It is only one part
of the puzzle--an important part--but it must be considered along with other
clues.
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What can and can’t handwriting reveal?
Handwriting can provide an accurate picture of the core personality of the
writer in general. Sometimes it is also possible to obtain some remarkably
specific insights. It is an excellent employment profiling tool because it is
completely non-discriminatory. The graphologist cannot tell age, sex, race,
religion, or which hand the writer uses. And, although handwriting tells us
much about the writer’s past, it does not reveal the future.
If you have other questions you would like answered, send an email to:
Sheila Lowe
or
call 1-805-658-0109.
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