psychographism

Psychographism is a term that has been used to describe the practice of attempting to determine a person's character, personality, or future by analyzing their handwriting. This practice is often associated with graphology, which is the broader study of handwriting as an expression of personality. While graphology itself is considered a pseudoscience by the scientific community, psychographism specifically refers to the act of using handwriting analysis for predictive or diagnostic purposes concerning an individual's mental state or life path.

Proponents of psychographism believe that the unique strokes, slants, spacing, and pressure in a person's writing can reveal subconscious traits and tendencies. For example, a widely spaced script might be interpreted as an open and extroverted personality, while a heavily slanted script might suggest emotional expressiveness. Certain flourishes or hesitancy in writing could be seen as indicators of confidence or insecurity, respectively. These interpretations, however, lack empirical validation and are not supported by psychological research.

Critics of psychographism point out that handwriting can be influenced by a multitude of factors unrelated to personality, such as the writing instrument, the writing surface, the writer's physical condition, mood, or even conscious attempts to disguise one's writing. Consequently, any conclusions drawn about a person's character or future based solely on their handwriting are considered unreliable and subjective. Modern psychology generally regards psychographism as a form of fortune-telling or a pseudoscientific practice, distinct from legitimate psychological assessment methods.