Graphology

Graphology is the analysis of the physical characteristics and patterns of handwriting purporting to be able to identify the writer, indicating psychological state at the time of writing, or evaluating personality characteristics. It is generally considered a pseudoscience. The term is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to forensic document examination.

Graphology has been controversial for more than a century. Although supporters point to the anecdotal evidence of positive testimonials as a reason to use it for personality evaluation, most empirical studies fail to show the validity claimed by its supporters.

Etymology

From grapho- (from the Greek γραφή, "writing") and logos (from the Greek λόγος, "word"). There also exist many other words formed from the same root: graphopathology, graphomaniac, graphistic, graphopsychology, psychographology, graphometric, graphometry, graphoanalysis, graphotechnology, micrographia.

History

Jean-Charles Gille stated in 1991 that Juan Huarte de San Juan's 1575 Examen de ingenios para las ciencias was the first book on handwriting analysis. In American graphology, Camillo Baldi's Trattato come da una lettera missiva si conoscano la natura e qualita dello scrittore is considered to be the first book.