Handwriting is as unique as the personality of the author so the two things can be considered interrelated. Graphology is an interesting field of study, especially for knowing the personality of someone you know, although its accuracy is very limited. If you want to delve into the scientific analysis of handwriting, learn how forensic investigators compare the handwriting of a suspect and that of a hostage.
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Method 1 of 2: Doing the Analysis the Quick and Simple Way
Step 1. Don't rely solely on graphology to draw conclusions
Graphologists claim to be able to determine a person's personality by analyzing handwriting. This may be true, for example, if we imagine the handwriting of an energetic person and a careless person. Because these claims are not scientifically proven, scientists do not accept graphology as a science and are considered ineffective. The reason is that the correlation between handwriting and personality is based only on estimates with various exceptions. Graphology is interesting enough to learn, but can't be used when selecting job applicants or wanting to build relationships.
Don't trust someone who claims to be able to identify criminals or liars from their handwriting. Judging someone in that way is completely unreasonable and a false accusation so unfair that it will cost a person
Step 2. Get a sample of good writing
As much as possible, prepare a handwriting sample by having someone write it on plain paper. It would be better if there were several samples written with an interval of a few hours. Handwriting is strongly influenced by mood and environment. So, the features in a particular sample will reflect temporary conditions.
Step 3. Pay attention to the pressure while writing
There are people who write by pressing hard on the paper, but there are also those who only make fine strokes. Pressure can be seen from the color of the streak that appears on the paper or by feeling how rough the back of the paper is. By observing the writing stress, the graphologist can provide the following analysis:
- Strong pressure indicates high emotional energy. The author may be a passionate, passionate, or energetic person.
- Normal stress indicates a calm person with good perception or memory skills, but tends to be passive.
- Mild stress indicates that the person is introverted or prefers relaxed situations.
Step 4. Observe the slope of the writing
Cursive handwriting is writing in cursive letters that slant to the left or right. To perform a cursive writing analysis, pay special attention to the letters with a circular line at the top (example: the letter b, d, or h):
- Writing that slants to the right usually indicates a person who is excited, in a hurry, or energetic. People who are used to writing with a right slant tend to be assertive and confident.
- Writing that is slanted to the left usually indicates a person who doesn't like writing or is holding back emotions. There are opinions that say that letters that slant to the left indicate that the author is less cooperative than people whose writing is italicized to the right.
- Upright writing usually indicates a person who is able to control emotions.
- Keep in mind that the analysis does not apply to people who write with their left hand.
Step 5. Pay attention to the basic outline of the writing
When writing on plain paper, there are people who have difficulty writing with a straight baseline. Place a ruler across the paper to check the baseline for each sentence:
- A rising base line is considered to indicate optimism and a sense of happiness.
- A descending baseline is considered to indicate a sense of hopelessness or exhaustion.
- A wavy baseline that goes up and down can be an indication of a personality that is unstable, full of doubts, or lacks writing skills.
Step 6. Pay attention to the font size
Large letters can mean friendly and extroverted people. Lowercase letters can mean introverted, introverted, or frugal people.
Step 7. Compare the spaces between letters and between words
Does your friend write in very tight letters? If so, he may tend to be self-centered or introverted. People who write with wide letter spacing tend to be generous and independent. Graphologists also analyze the distance between words. If it's closer, the writer likes to be in a crowd. Some take another approach and claim that wide spacing of words indicates a calm and systematic mind.
Step 8. Pay attention to the way the author connects the letters
The cursive form of writing is a very useful source of analysis because there are so many variations. There are graphologists who come to different conclusions, but analysis of cursive writing is usually done based on the shape of the letters according to the following guidelines:
- Garlands: the lettering is shaped like a cup (without the lid) showing the strength and friendliness of the author.
- Arcades: letters shaped like a curved roof (inverted U) indicate a calm, authoritative, and creative personality.
- Threads: letters shaped like threads that get thinner at the last letter and sometimes followed by dots usually indicate people who are always in a hurry and are not tidy, but there are many other possibilities.
Method 2 of 2: Analyzing Forensic Documents
Step 1. Learn how to analyze forensic documents
Graphology can be used in the forensic field, especially in Europe where graphology has been used in court. Analysis of documents using graphology can reveal the possible age and gender of the author, but not to determine his personality. The main purpose of the analysis is to identify forgery by comparing the suspect's handwriting with that of the hostage or other evidence.
Step 2. Get a handwriting sample
All samples must be written voluntarily using ink and paper of the same material. Before you start learning to analyze, have a few friends copy a story of the same length. After that, ask them to write it down again using a different paper. When you're done, shuffle all the sheets of paper and try to find each person's writing partner using the technique described below.
Criminal investigators usually use a minimum of 3 pieces of paper on which the full story/letter is written or a minimum of 20 signatures
Step 3. Look for differences first
The mistake that is often made is to look for similarities by comparing 2 samples and then conclude that the authors are the same and stop analyzing. Instead, start by looking for differences and look for similarities. Use the guide to explore other aspects.
Step 4. Compare the writing baseline
If the writing sample uses lined paper, pay attention to whether the writing is above or below the line. Since the sample would be better if written on plain paper, place a ruler to determine the basic line of writing. There is a neat writing with a straight baseline, but there is also a less neat and up and down.
Step 5. Measure the distance between the letters
This method is a bit cumbersome, but more objective than other comparisons. Prepare a ruler that shows millimeters and then measure the distance between letters or between words. Posts with a significant difference in spacing usually indicate different authors. This will be easier to see by drawing a line on words that are written in conjunction or in separate letters.
Step 6. Observe the height of the letters
Is the cursive "l" or "k" much taller than the other letters or are all letters the same height? Analysis by comparing letter heights gives more consistent results than using circular line widths or letter slopes.
Step 7. Compare the shapes of the letters
Each writing can be distinguished by curved lines, circular lines, connecting lines, and letter shapes. Before taking a formal course, the best way to analyze handwriting is to compare two samples of writing of equal length. Begin the analysis by observing the following:
- Handwriting is not like typewriter letters. In each sample, look for a specific letter with a different shape to determine which letter can be ignored. For example: 2 letters "f" which are respectively written with a circular line "fat" and "thin" cannot be used when doing the analysis.
- After that, look for letters that have the same characteristics. For example: someone usually writes a capital "i" in the same shape, maybe using cursive, a vertical line, or a vertical line with 2 horizontal lines. In a person's handwriting, it is rare to find certain letters with different shapes.
Step 8. Find out if there is a forgery
If you want to practice another way, have your friends copy each other's signatures. Make several fake signatures in a row, but insert the original signature in the list. After that, look for the following clues to determine the real signature:
- Impersonators will usually write slowly to copy the signature. This made his hands tremble slightly, resulting in wavy lines with the same thickness of tension, pressure, and color. An original signature created at a non-constant speed can be recognized by the gradient color of the stroke.
- Impersonators who hesitate or stop writing will be seen by the thickened ink or small gaps due to lifting the pen. These characteristics are usually found at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the signature.
- Make your own signature 5 times and then observe the variations. If you find 2 signatures that are very similar when comparing the real and fake signatures, one may be a clone.
Tips
- Handwriting that is irregularly slanted can indicate a stress disorder. It is very difficult to determine a precise analysis of the handwriting of someone who is under stress.
- If the graphologist's predictions impress you, be wary, especially if he charges a fee. Ask yourself does this prediction apply to everyone your age? Does the graphologist provide analytical results in standard terms that everyone can understand?
- This guide uses illustrations and sample writing in English, but the techniques described in this article also apply to analyzing handwriting in other languages that use Latin letters and are written from left to right.
- Writers who do not line the letter "t" or dot on the letter "i" tend to be considered less thorough or in a hurry.
- Handwriting can change, especially in children (towards adolescence) and people who are sick or have health problems due to age.
