Industry News
Is Graphology reliable enough to be used as an Assessment Tool?
Posted: 13/12/08Graphology is arguably one of the oldest methods of assessment yet one which remains perhaps the least understood, argued John Beck, chair of the British Institute of Graphology, at the 9th December ABP Workshop.
Dispelling some myths, he argued that Graphology is not chronological and it is virtually impossible to predict age: likewise it is impossible to predict male/female origins of script. However, it is possible to build up personality profiles using a combination of three attributes or components of script:
• “Motoric” element
• Spacial impulse (use of space)
• Formative impulse (formation of script)
Graphologists are not concerned with appearance, rather they look at how it is executed. A course of study in graphology can last a minimum of 5 years and students learn to appreciate by experience patterns of consistency and inconsistency. The complexity of the analysis is little understood by outsiders, as there are 29 identifiable factors which operate independently and can be separately identified, in varying degrees of difficulty.
Graphology has existed as a technique with some degree of success for many years simply because no one writes in the manner in which they were taught to write. Everyone stamps their individuality and “Persona” (= mask in Latin) on their script, and the Graphologist identifies those elements of individuality, which can often run into hundreds of “changes”. Changes are classified into Groups, which are then associated with psychological profiling.
At its very simplest level, the main focus is often on size and slant. An example is instructive: small size is often associated with technical excellence and contribution in a team, often higher IQ, retiring, modest and, sometimes, poor performance in interviews. People with left slants can have strong bonds with mothers and be introverted, whereas a strong rightward slant might reveal extrovert tendencies. Upright handwriting often indicates poor emotional display, but good attention to detail and strong administration ability.
This is a very complex subject and by no means conclusive, but it provides a useful tool in assessment to supplement other profiling techniques.