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Definition:
Graphology is the study of handwriting and is usually used to refer to the pseudoscientific belief
that the unconscious mind reveals information about a person in the way they write. Supporters
will claim that graphology is useful for determining things like health issues, morality,
past experiences, hidden talents or mental problems.
However, there is no evidence that our unconscious minds are a source of truth about us at all, much less that graphology provides access to that truth. In properly controlled, blind studies where the content of a message can provide no information about the author, graphologists do no better than chance at predicting personality traits. This lack of empirical evidence support the claims of graphology are not surprising because there is also no coherent, sound theory about how it is supposed to work.
The above should not be confused wiht the legitimate "graphology" is performed by forensic document examiners, the people who examine documents to determine authenticity and authorship.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
Skepticism & Critical Thinking
This is the main index for issues dealing with skepticism, critical thinking, logic and arguments. The first section is Critical Thinking itself - how to think about claims and arguments you hear, how to critique arguments, and how to formulate your own arguments such that they are more likely to be sound and valid. The second section is about Skeptical Investigations - the practical application of the critical thinking skills covered in the first section. Here you will find critiques of things like astrology, alternative medicine, parapsychology, the New Age and more.
