# Graphology

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphology/577499>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [April 7, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphology/577499 "2011-04-07T07:41:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphology/577499/1 "2011-04-07T07:41:38Z")

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Unca Cecil’s [column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2447/is-handwriting-analysis-legit-science) and related thread [1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=178309&highlight=graphology)and thread [2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3425744#post3425744).  
Are there any new studies in this field?

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**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphology/577499/2 "2011-04-08T04:37:31Z")

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Bump.

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**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphology/577499/3 "2011-04-08T09:57:17Z")

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If you go to [PubMed](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed) and search for “graphology” you will see a couple of pages of recent articles and studies on the subject.

e.g.

> [@](#):
>
> Psychol Rep. 2009 Dec;105(3 Pt 2):1255-68.  
> **Graphology and personality: an empirical study on validity of handwriting analysis.**
> 
> Dazzi C, Pedrabissi L.
> 
> Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, Via Venezia, 8, 35121 Padua, Italy. carla.dazzi@unipd.it
> 
> **Abstract**
> 
> The aim of the present work was to examine validity of the graphological method to assess personality traits.
> 
> The results of two studies are described. In Study 1, the Big Five Questionnaire was administered to a sample of 101 university students who provided a sample of a handwritten text.
> 
> Two graphologists were asked to detect the same dimensions and facets measured by the Big Five Questionnaire using a 9-point scale.
> 
> Correlations between the Big Five Questionnaire and graphological evaluations did not confirm the capability of handwriting analysis to measure Big Five personality traits.
> 
> Also, interrater reliability was very low. Study 2 (N = 102) was carried out using handwritten texts with autobiographical content for the graphological analysis.
> 
> Two different graphologists and two laypersons were involved.
> 
> **No evidence was found to validate the graphological method as a measure of personality.**

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**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphology/577499/4 "2011-04-08T12:52:18Z")

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Wallenstein,

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graphology/577499/5 "2011-04-17T21:46:50Z")

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I would like to recommend this book: [Graphology, the Write Stuff,](http://www.amazon.com/Write-Stuff-Evaluations-Graphology-Handwriting/dp/0879756128/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1303076691&sr=1-1) by Barry & Dale Beyerstein. Not recent, but covers the subject pretty well.