Well..welcome friends...
Today... (though I know its Saturday) I am posting the 1st activity that we shall be doing.. and I promise it wont take long... just maybe maximum of an hour...
This is simple and informative (sorry if you donot find it very interesting) but this is really important in forensic sciences and probably most important in the application of forensics..
We shall today we doing a little of handwriting analysis... and its gonna be easy for you will practice it first...
ACTIVITY 1 : Analyse your own handwriting...
Now I know you all must be thinking when I havent even told you anything about handwriting, how can I ask you to analyse it.. well dont worry.. I am coming to the point..
Definition : Graphology is the study and analysis of handwriting especially in relation to human psychology. In the medical field, it can be used to refer to the study of handwriting as an aid in diagnosis and tracking of diseases of the brain and nervous system. The term is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to forensic document examination.
Basic Tenets...
Graphology is based upon the following basic assertions:
- When we write, the ego is active but it is not always active to the same degree. Its activity waxes and wanes; being at its highest level when an effort has to be made by the writer and at its lowest level when the motion of the writing organ has gained momentum and is driven by it.
- When the action of writing is comparatively difficult, the writer uses those forms of letters which are simpler or more familiar.
- The muscular movements involved in writing are controlled by the central nervous system. The form of the resultant writing movement is modified further by the flexibly assembled coordinative structures in the hand, arm, and shoulder; which follow the principles of dynamical systems. The specific writing organ (mouth, foot, hand, crook of elbow) is irrelevant if it functions normally and is sufficiently adapted to its function.
- The neurophysiological mechanisms which contribute to the written movement are related to conditions within the central nervous system and vary in accordance with them. The written strokes, therefore, reflect both transitory and long term changes in the central nervous system such as Parkinson's disease, or alcohol usage.
- The movements and corresponding levels of muscular tension in writing are mostly outside of conscious control and subject to the ideomotor effect. Emotion, mental state, and biomechanical factors such as muscle stiffness and elasticity are reflected in a person's handwriting.
- One must examine the handwriting or drawing movements by considering them as movements organized by the central nervous system and produced under biomechanical and dynamical constraints. Given these considerations, graphologists proceed to evaluate the pattern, form, movement, rhythm, quality, and consistency of the graphic stroke in terms of psychological interpretations. Such interpretations vary according to the graphological theory applied by the analyst.
Most schools of thought in graphology concur that a single graphological element can be a component of many different clusters, with each cluster having a different psychological interpretation. The significance of the cluster can be assessed accurately by tracing each component of the cluster back to their origins and adapting the meaning of the latter to the conditions of the milieu in which the form appears.
These were some important points... no more boring part from Handwriting.. even this was important for one must know what we are doing when we do it and also this is the only reason why handwriting analysis is important in Forensic Science..
[[In case you want to know more of theory part.. do tell me and I will put more]]
Now to the interesting part...
Here are 2 websites... they provide free handwriting analysis online...
I want all interested to visit them and know about differernt kinds of handwriting by getting your friends / family or neone else to test their handwriting there... once you are done reading the reports... you shall know which kind of curves or bends represent what in our handwriting.. It shall not be very detailed but yes good enough for us beginners.....
This provides a very good and detailed report on what characteristics can be infered from what kind of handwriting curves or edges...
The report wont be very long or explainatory but as they take your writing sample, you will get some good idea about practical stuff.
Well when you are done reading 2 - 3 reports, I am sure you will know some important things about handwriting and then it will be great if you access your own handwriting and post the result here...
Hope you will enjoy this! Best of Luck...
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