Questions and Answers
Following are the answers to frequently-asked questions on the subject of handwriting analysis:
Q: What can one know about a person on the basis of his/her handwriting?
A: One can learn about the writer’s intelligence and special abilities, character, social and emotional adjustment, and more. This assessment is made possible because the brain dictates the movement of a person’s hand. Therefore, when the graphologist reads and interprets a subject’s handwriting, s/he is really learning about the writer’s mind.
Q: Is handwriting analysis a valid test of personality?
A: Recent tests claim that the results of handwriting analysis are similar to personality tests used in clinical psychology. Additional testing based on writing and drawings can improve the conclusions.
Q: Can handwriting be purposefully changed?
A: Yes. Although disguising one’s handwriting or forging another’s is a very difficult endeavor, this feat can be accomplished for a very short time. The forger’s great effort will be evident in the script, and in a lengthy piece, s/he usually reverts to his/her own writing style.
Q: Does handwriting change with age or physical or mental health?
A: Yes. Although handwriting changes with old age or bad health, the main features of a writer’s personality remain constant and will be recognizable. Changes of mood also influence one’s handwriting.