Employment profiling

A company takes a writing sample provided by you, and proceeds to do a profile, to see how well your personality suits the desired job. The research results range from failure ( Lighton, R E A Graphological Examination of the Handwriting of Air Pilots Thesis in the Faculty of Arts: University of Pretoria: 1934) to guarded success (Luca, E S "Major Aptitudes and Personality Chracteristics of 42 Dental Students as Evaluated Through their Handwriting." New York Journal of Dentistry 1973, 43, 281 - 283) The use of graphology in the hiring process has been criticized on ethical ground ( Daryl Koehn "Handwriting Analysis In Pre-Employment Screening" The Online Journal of Ethics Vol. 1 * No. 1 * Article 1 ) and on legal grounds ( Julie Spohn "The Legal Implications of Graphology" Washington University Law Quarterly Vol. 73 * No. 3 * Fall 1997) An additional service, offered by some graphologists, is to say how well the person will fit in with your current employees. According to the BBC, 3,000 employers in the United Kingdom use graphologists as part of their recruitment process.

Marital compatibility

This consists of doing a psychological portrait of each individual, and seeing where their personality traits are compatible or not.

Psychological analysis

It is claimed that people's handwriting gives clues to both their personality and their mental state. These reports can range from a ten item check off list, to a 10,000 word report.

Medical diagnosis

Probably the aspect of handwriting analysis with the most quackery associated with it, and also with the most research done into it.Kanfer claimed that he could detect cancer from an analysis of handwriting, years before doctors could detect it. Subsequent studies failed to support his findings.

Criminal investigation

A discipline of handwriting analysis better known as questioned document examination is used extensively within the United States court system in order to identify or eliminate an individual as being the writer of a particular piece of handwriting - which has no direct connection to the claims of graphology. Goodtitle Drevett v Braham 100 Eng Rep 1139 (1792) is reportedly the first case at which the testimony of a questioned document examiner was accepted. Cameron v Knapp, 137 Misc. 2d 373, 520 N.Y.S.2d 917 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Co. 1987) (handwriting expert may testify as to the authenticity of a writing but not as to an individual's physical or mental condition based on a handwriting sample) stands as current U.S. case law for the rejection of graphology as psychological testimony.

Carroll v State probably will be best remembered for why graphologists should not be allowed to testify.

Divination

Handwriting is believed by some to hold information about one's future. This application of graphology requires a belief in the supernatural. The code of ethics for the International Graphoanalysis Society prohibits the practice of anything related to the occult.