Different Strokes: The Use Of Handwriting Analysis In Hiring...

[Lavie Enrose]

Different strokes

Is it brain writing or a circus trick? A new study challenges the use of handwriting analysis to pick your employees, writes IAN MORFITT. But users swear by it

By_IAN MORFITT
The Globe And Mail
Friday, December 26, 2003 - Page B11 (http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20031226/CAGRAP26//?query=author%3Ccontains%3EIAN+MORFITT)

[Suezoled]

Some big companies in Asia make a potential employee fill out a form which includes his/her blood type and astrological sign. They swear by it.

In anecdotal news, what about the medications that affect handwriting? Those that make you shake a bit but don't affect one's capacity to contribute as an employee?

[Yahweh]

Right up there with palmistry and phrenology...

[Yahweh]

You know, there are worse ways they could screen potential-employees...

http://www.scientology.org/]Scientology (http://www.scientology.org/oca/ocapg1.scgi?[url) Personality Test[/url]...

Here are my results (I took the test as honest as I could, and I think the results a total poop, I'm lots more appreciative of beautiful things than this chart seems to tell me...):

[whitefork]

Yahweh, I like the cut of your jib. When can you start? What are your salary requirements?

[Lavie Enrose]

Originally posted by Suezoled
Some big companies in Asia make a potential employee fill out a form which includes his/her blood type and astrological sign. They swear by it.

How does that work? Do they only hire people with a certain blood type and astrological sign?

In anecdotal news, what about the medications that affect handwriting? Those that make you shake a bit but don't affect one's capacity to contribute as an employee?

That is a good point.

Also, what about being nervous?

Does printing or writing make a difference in the final analysis?

[Kopji]

Humm, my life as someone profiled as something or other incorrectly most of my life, I hate these guys and the truck that brought them.

Yeah, this is a big deal with businesses in Europe. I am more than a little curious how an official Government Graphologist gets licensed. Questions like "how was the first one hired?" pop up. Would their handwriting show them as honest and trustworthy? How honest could such a person be, who believed they could tell my future by looking at my handwriting?

That would be one of my dream jobs, right up there with Psychic Medium Licenser & Trainer.

To really lie convincingly though, requires a bigger computer:

(excerpt)
HRC's mission: To develop a valid system of handwriting analysis which would accommodate the high-volume personnel assessment needs of employers by utilizing state-of-the-art computer technology.

With over $2,000,000 and 15 years in development., HRC accomplished its mission and brought handwriting analysis into the 21st century. Since 1979, HRC has provided employers nationwide with a personality assessment method of unmatched speed and accuracy. HRC's CHAPS does not suffer the shortcomings of traditional psychological self-reports. Unlike self-reports, handwriting analysis does not require one's presence, self-awareness, cooperation or honesty. HRC's research, presented at the American Psychological Association's 98th annual national convention in Boston, demonstrated high coefficients in both reliability and validity...
HRC has serviced over one thousand businesses to date, include many Fortune 500 companies who will attest to the validity of HRC profiles.
Link (http://www.handwriting.com/facts/chaps.html)


Gee, isn't 'servicing' a euphemism that prostitutes use?

Ah, buried away with only 400 or so hits from the psychology.org website:


...Scientific research has found no clear correlation between handwriting behavior and basic personality patterns. Although some psychologists believe that the subject is worth further study, the existing research is almost uniformly inconclusive or negative...

...one study examined the ability of graphologists to predict sales success, in the sense that graphologists' evaluations would concur with supervisor's ratings. The researchers found no evidence of validity (Rafaeli and Klimoski 1983). In a later survey of research on handwriting analysis for personnel selection, Klimoski discusses the standards for evaluating personnel selection methods, and concludes the "credible, empirical evidence" does not support the claims of graphology as applied to personnel selection. (Klimoski 1992). A study for the Netherlands Society of Industrial Psychology considered 2250 judgments by graphologists and 6000 by a control group. The Dutch researchers found that graphological judgments, for large numbers, were slightly more often correct than incorrect, but they concluded that for judging the individual, "...graphology is a diagnostic method of highly questionable and in all probability minimal, practical value." (Jansen 1973). A 1989 analysis of 17 earlier studies of the validity of graphology as a personnel selection device found that even the minimal correlations sometimes obtained by graphologists could be accounted for by content-laden scripts. (Neter and Ben-Shakhar 1989). Summaries of the research literature can be found in Beyerstein, ed. (1992); Nevo ed. (1986); and Hines (1988). None of the many graphology books I examined cited any validating research. The attitude of the practicing graphologists seems to be represented by this quote: "Moreover, graphology is a self-validating science. This means that the credibility of the method can be proven immediately by the feedback you get from the graphologist." (Kurtz 1983). Link (http://www.ntskeptics.org/FACTSHTS/graphol.htm)

[pupdog]

These companies would probably like to use polygraphs, too.

[Suezoled]

Originally posted by Lavie Enrose


How does that work? Do they only hire people with a certain blood type and astrological sign?


I think it's dependent on the position... say, management might need support from a Taurus and so an Aries would not be desirable, etc...


That is a good point.

Also, what about being nervous?

Does printing or writing make a difference in the final analysis?

Or even someone who's had a mild stroke, or just naturally can't use their hands for handwriting very well...

[bpesta22]

This is a favorite topic of mine in my human resources courses.

It gives me an opportunity to mention the JREF in a business class, in that I emailed Randi on the topic who said that graphology would indeed qualify for the million dollar prize.

In fact, one of my test questions is: which selection method should never be used, an d if ever proved valid would win 1 million dollars from James Randi.

There was a large scale study showing the validity to be zero to two decimal points (though people can significantly better than chance ID someone's gender from his / her handwriting.)

The irony is that even though totally invalid, it's perfectly legal to use graphology to select people. Because it doesn't create adverse impact (i.e., harm to a protected class) you couldn't even sue over it.

B

[Lavie Enrose]

Originally posted by Suezoled
Or even someone who's had a mild stroke, or just naturally can't use their hands for handwriting very well...

And people who cannot write with their hands, but write with their mouths and feet. I wonder what these graphology experts would say about a "handwriting" sample from these people?

[Lavie Enrose]

Originally posted by bpesta22
It gives me an opportunity to mention the JREF in a business class, in that I emailed Randi on the topic who said that graphology would indeed qualify for the million dollar prize.

Someone should tell them that. Obviously, they do not know about the JREF one million dollar prize. I am sure as soon as a graphology expert learns of the JREF one million dollar prize, she/he will waste no time in starting the testing.

I'm not holding my breathe.

[asthmatic camel]

Yahweh, I found it amusing that the Scientologists rated you as active. I can only think that they mean active on the internet, you can't possibly have enough time to do very much else. ;)