The psychology of handwriting is an interdisciplinary study of the relationship between psychological characteristics and handwriting. The results presented in the book refer to a possibility of identification of a persons personality/mental traits on the basis of ones handwriting. The author has performed very extensive research in the area and has replicated all of her previous studies using the most modern computer software to analyze graphical patterns. The work is carried out diligently with regard to the methodology. The author analyzes handwriting feature sets, not single features, and examines them in the context of different personality dimensions, temperament traits, state and trait anxiety, antisocial personality disorder, affective disorders, and schizophrenia. This book is the result of an extensive work; laborious analysis was carried out on 1174 handwriting samples. The results obtained laid the ground for the formulation of cutting edge conclusions demonstrating that handwriting parameters are not specific to particular personality/temperament traits or mental disorders.Although handwriting is individualized, there is no support for the thesis that psychological traits can be revealed through handwriting characteristics. The book presents a synthesis of numerous concepts spread throughout a variety of research disciplines and is a compendium on Barbara Gawdas newest research. The author proposes an original cognitive network theory, which summarizes the theoretical background and explains the lack of relationship between psychological patterns and handwriting. Special acknowledgments should be given to this novel concept. The network model of the relationship between psyche and handwriting brings substantial input into the development of interdisciplinary research on handwriting and is important from the perspective of cognitive, forensic, and clinical psychology.

This book presents 17 selected papers from the 4th International Graphonomics Society Conference, held at the University of Trondheim (Norway) in July 1989. It focusses on different aspects of automatic processing of handwriting by computer. The book is divided into three sections. The first one surveys the research works done on automatic signature verification over the last 25 years. The second section deals with problems related to the design of on-line cursive script recognition and the implementation of this technology into an electronic pen pad. The third section focusses on the integration of contextual knowledge in these systems.