<ul>
<li>Handwriting analysis, or 'graphology,' has its modern roots in the theories supported by a group of 19th-Century French Catholic clergy. </li>
<li>Claims are made about a person's writing style and personality, but contemporary psychology views graphology as a joke. They even listed it as one of the great myths of popular psychology.</li>
</ul>

Graphology is not recognized as a science

Specific claims linking aspects of handwriting to personality continue to emerge.
A 2016 study that looked at personality tests and signatures reported that, among men, a larger signature correlated with having more social bravado, while in women, a more prominent signature correlated with having narcissistic traits.

Analysing signatures

Asked by: Erica Reynolds, CoventryI remember as a child being discouraged from allowing my handwriting to slope backwards – I was warned my relaxed letters would be taken as a sign of an idle personality.Handwriting analysis, or ‘graphology’, which has its modern roots in the theories espoused by a group of 19th-Century French Catholic clergy, makes many such claims about what is revealed by a person’s writing style, some more eyebrow-raising than others. If you have low-hanging, bulbous loops on your ‘y’s and ‘g’s, for instance, this is apparently a sign of your sexual prowess.<picture><source media="(max-width: 320px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C300, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C600 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=900%2C900 3x" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C300, 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srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C300, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C600 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=900%2C900 3x"><source media="(max-width: 375px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C355, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=710%2C710 2x" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C355, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=710%2C710 2x"><source media="(max-width: 375px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C355, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=710%2C710 2x" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C355, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=710%2C710 2x"><source media="(max-width: 425px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C405, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=810%2C810 2x" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C405, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=810%2C810 2x"><source media="(max-width: 425px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C405, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=810%2C810 2x" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C405, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=810%2C810 2x"><source media="(max-width: 589px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C554" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C554"><source media="(max-width: 589px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C554" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C554"><source media="(min-width: 992px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C620" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C620"><source media="(min-width: 992px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C620" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C620"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C408, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=816%2C816 2x" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C408, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=816%2C816 2x"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C408, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=816%2C816 2x" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C408, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=816%2C816 2x"><source media="(min-width: 590px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C556" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C556"><source media="(min-width: 590px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C556" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C556"><img width="620" height="620" alt="Is there any link between handwriting and personality? © Daniel Bright" title="Is there any link between handwriting and personality? © Daniel Bright" src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/06/1-Handwriting-Personality_2_preview-cac371f.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C620"></picture>Unsurprisingly, perhaps, contemporary psychology views graphology as a joke – indeed, the claim that our handwriting reveals our personality traits is listed in 50 Great Myths Of Popular Psychology, an influential book written by a team of US psychologists.That said, specific claims linking aspects of handwriting to personality continue to emerge, even in mainstream psychology journals. For example, in a 2016 study carried out by researchers in Uruguay, hundreds of people completed personality tests and then signed their name. The researchers reported that, among men, a larger signature correlated with having more social bravado, while in women, a bigger signature correlated with having narcissistic traits. So there might be some very specific situations in which the way you write can be revealing. The Uruguayan researchers suggest that signatures are a special case because they serve as a form of self-expression.Read more:<UL><LI>Pay just £43.65 every 14 issues by Direct Debit, saving 40%!*</LI><LI>Receive every issue delivered direct to your door with FREE UK delivery</LI></UL>

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Asked by: Erica Reynolds, Coventry I remember as a child being discouraged from allowing my handwriting to slope backwards – I was warned my relaxed letters would be taken as a sign of an idle personality. Handwriting analysis, or ‘graphology’, which has its modern roots in the theories espoused by a group of 19th-Century French Catholic clergy, makes many such claims about what is revealed by a person’s writing style, some more eyebrow-raising than others. If you have low-hanging, bulbous loops on your ‘y’s and ‘g’s, for instance, this is apparently a sign of your sexual prowess.

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, contemporary psychology views graphology as a joke – indeed, the claim that our handwriting reveals our personality traits is listed in 50 Great Myths Of Popular Psychology, an influential book written by a team of US psychologists. That said, specific claims linking aspects of handwriting to personality continue to emerge, even in mainstream psychology journals. For example, in a 2016 study carried out by researchers in Uruguay, hundreds of people completed personality tests and then signed their name. The researchers reported that, among men, a larger signature correlated with having more social bravado, while in women, a bigger signature correlated with having narcissistic traits. So there might be some very specific situations in which the way you write can be revealing. The Uruguayan researchers suggest that signatures are a special case because they serve as a form of self-expression.

Is there any link between handwriting and personality?

Graphology is not recognized as a science

Analysing signatures

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