o Argentina

The district court of economical offences has recently ruled that graphology is a recognized profession.

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In 1997, the Ministry of Education has officially recognized academic studies towards a degree in graphology. Degrees can be obtained in the Emerson University College (Instituto Superior Emerson - Colegio Universitario) and in the Universidad Catolica Argentina Santa Maria, both in Buenos Aires.

http://www.emerson.com.ar
http://www2.uca.edu.ar/esp/sec-ffilosofia/esp/page.php

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The Spanish graphologist Mauricio Xandró obtained an “honorary doctor” degree from the Universidad del Flores in Buenos Aires for his life work.

o Canada

There are six private schools of graphology recognize by the Association des Graphologues du Québec

Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy

Scriptos Centre d’étude et d’expertise d’écriture Inc.
http://www.cndf.qc.ca/scriptos
A course of 450 hours (5 years) leading to a Professional Graphologist Diploma.

Institut de Psychographologie de Montréa (IPGM)
http://pages.infinit.net/ipgm

Institut de graphologie Roma Lavoie
http://graphologie.8m.com

Institut Grapho-Logique enr.
http://www.netrover.com/~igraph/InstitutGraphoLogique

o Europe

Many professional graphological organizations belong to the European Ethics Society of Graphology (Association Déontologique Européene de Graphologie - ADEG), registered in Belgium with the king’s seal. It was also acknowledged by the Common European Market (1977). ADEG’s Code of Ethics regulates the work of European graphologists who belong to these societies.

o France

France is the cradle of scientific graphology. The French society “La Société Française de Graphologie (SFDG)” was established already in 1871. It received legal status in 1901, and was acknowledged as “functioning in the Public’s interest” in1971.

www.graphologie.asso.fr/html

This society is highly respected. Among its honorary members are Nobel Prize winners (Louis de Broglie – Physics; Jean Dausset - Medicine), members of the “French Academy” (Alain Decaux, Jacqueline de Romilly) and cultural leaders, such as Henri Bergson, André Gide, Paul Valéry and Dr. Schweitzer .

The SFDG conducts professional studies of graphology - courses of three years plus one year of supervised work. The studies are conducted by private graphologists and institutions, and culminate into a professional written and oral Diplome examination. Graphologists holding the society’s diplome and an academic degree can progress to another 2 years’ course of studies, write a research work and justify it, to obtain the title of “Consulting Graphologist” (Graphologue Conseil).

The organization of the Consulting Graphologists “Groupement des Graphologues Conseils” was established in 1946.

www.ggcg.fr

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France is considered the country, in which graphology is used most, by up to 80% of enterprises. Graphologists are self-employed or work as employees in human resources and consulting agencies, and in many companies and industrial plants.

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The last socialist government intended to pass a few laws, regulating the use of graphology, but none was passed.

The issue of employees’ recruitment is regulated in France by a general 1992 “Workers’ recruitment and individual’s privacy law”. Candidates must be informed of the selection methods that will be used by the employer.

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Graphological assessment was defined as an official supporting tool for decision-making in personnel selection. It was approved by a committee that included governmental representatives of the Ministery of Labor, and the organization of human resources managers, and in 2002 it received official accreditation from the French Standards Institute, as an equivalent tool to personality tests (AFNOR NFX 50 – 767).

http://www.sblconseil.com/ENTREP/serv_norme_graphologie.htm

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In France, Forensic Graphology experts are recognized by the Ministry of Justice, and they obtain their certification by oath in official ceremonies organized by the ministry.

o Germany

Graphology (“Handwriting-Psychology”) has been taught in various German universities for 80 years as part of study programs in philosophy, psychology, criminology and medicine. Some examples:

Prof. Robert Heiss, one of the major German graphologists, chaired the school of Psychology and Philosophy of the Albert Ludwigs University in Freiburg for over 30 years (1943-1973). He introduced two years’ graphology courses that were obligatory for all psychology students. Important psychologists in Heiss’ department were Bender, Szondi and Lüscher (developers of the tests named after them), and Zolliger (one of the Rorschach Test developers). Heiss was also president of the International Rorschach Society. Prof. Oskar Lockowandt succeeded Heiss, until his recent death.

Rudolf Pophal was a medicine professor and graphology lecturer at the Hamburg University.

Lutz Wagner was a graphology professor in Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich for 20 years (1955-1975). At present, Dr. Helmut Ploog teaches graphology at that university.

Dr. Gabriele Schmidt, Prof. Dietrich Ebert and Prof. Reinhardt Ludewig have been teaching Graphology (“Psychology of Handwriting”) and Medical Graphology at Leipzig University, since 1994.

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The Association of German Psychologists (Berufsverband Deutscher Psychologinnen und Psychologen - BPD) was established in 1946, and one of its first sections was “Handwriting-Psychologists” (graphologists). In 1988 the graphological section Fachbereich Schriftpsychologen consented to absorb also the medical and the environmental psychologists.

http://www.bdp-gus.de/sp/fb/entwicklung.htm

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Graphology is taught in professional courses and continuing programs by the professional societies belonging to the European Society of Handwriting-Psychology and Handwriting-Expertise ((äischen Gesellschaft ffür Schriftpsychologie und Schriftexpertise - EGS).

http://www.graphologie-europa.com/

Private courses are also available, and there are many individual graphologists or those affiliated to other societies than the BDP.

o Hungary

Since 1994, graphology is officially recognized by the state, as a “Profession of High Education”. In this classification there are professions that are obtained after matriculation plus higher studies, but not as high as a university degree.

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In order to obtain a professional certification of “Diplomed Graphologist” one must pass govermental examinations. Courses are given in private institutions. There is still no academic program of graphological specialization, but there are various facultative courses in the University of National Defence and a few accreditated colleges within the human resources managers’ studies.

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Graphology is a common hiring tool in Hungary. Graphologists are either self-employed or employed by agencies. Their activity is regulated only by the civil privacy law and the laws of contracts. They must be responsible for the professional correctedness of their reports and adjust to the Code of Ethics of their society.

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In May 2005 there is a congress of graphologists and questioned-documents examiners, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and the National Criminological Institute.

http://www.grafint.hu/esemenyek

o Italy

Graphology is recognized by the Ministry of Education. In 1996, the governmental “Office for Universitarian, Scientific and Technological Research” acknowledged graphology studies in universities within the faculties of sociology, psychology, law, and other professional courses. University diploma programs were opened in 1997 as three years’ courses in the Faculty of Education at L.U.M.S.A. University, Rome and at Universita degli Studi di Urbino “Carlo BO”. Since 2004, there are also Master’s programs in Forensic Graphology, educational and family graphology and in graphological counselling at L.U.M.S.A. University (www.lumsa.it/master.html) and a Master’s program in graphology in Urbino University (http://www.grafologia.it/master_universitari.htm).

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In Italy there is strong cooperation between graphologists, psychologists and human resources’ managers. There are common congresses and publications.

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Job candidates have to agree to be handwriting analyzed.

o Switzerland

In Switzerland graphology enjoys high recognition generally and also by academia, and is referred to as “Handwriting-Psychology”. In Zurich, graphology is taught towards Bachelor and Masters degrees at the “Higher-School for Applied Psychology” (Hochschule für Angewandt Psychologie - HAP Zürich). http://www.hapzh.ch/download/DiplomausbildungVV04.pdf

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In the “Swiss Professional Association of Applied-Psychologists” (Schweizer Berufsverband für angewandte Psychologie - SBAP) there is a separate section of “Professional Psychologists in Handwriting- Psychology” since 2003. www.sbap.ch It is affiliated to the Swiss Graphological Society - Schweizerischen Graphologischen Gesellschaft (SGG). There are also other graphological societies in Switzerland, and one doesn’t have to be member of SBAP to work as a graphologist.

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Prerequision for acceptance as member of the section of “Handwriting-Psychologists” in the SBAP

• Professional or academic studies in psychology as the main subject.
• Six semesters of studies at HAP Zürich and passing their graphology examinations
• A post-diplome graphology course at HAP Zürich
• Alternatively, graphological studies in parallel non-university institutes:
  • Graphologisches Seminar Zürich
  • Graphologisches Seminar Basel
  • Seminâire Romand / Société Romande
    
    

o U.S.A

Thanks to the efforts of Rose Matoussek, In December 18, 1989, the United States Department of Labor removed graphology from the category of "Entertainment" in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) since handwriting analysis was utilized by companies for personnel selection, doctors, counselors, attorneys, academic administrators, etc. The current defintion is: "GRAPHOLOGIST (profess. & kin.) 199.267- Analyses of handwriting to appraise personal characteristics: Obtains handwriting specimen to observe overall appearance of writing and detailed formation of letters. Measures height of letters and slant of writing, using calibrated templates. Observes individual's writing strokes to determine unique or distinguishing characteristics, using ruler and low-power magnifying glass or microscope. Evaluates handwriting sample to determine similarity to or divergence from style taught in school. Interprets findings according to theories of handwriting analysis. May use diagram to plot writing characteristics. "SOC Code: 3990 GOE Code: 02.04.01"

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Rose Matoussek promoted also the change in the Dewey Decimal Classification System by the Library of Congress, so that graphology was removed on August 18, 1980 from "occult" to "psychology, document examination and personnel screening”. The reasons were apparently that there is no element of future prophesy. Rather, graphology deals with the recorded evidence of a writing trail unique to each individual from which measurements and objective ratings are made

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There was a move to stop the use of graphology for personnel selection in Rhode Island that was defeated. Dr. Marc Seifer led a successful fight against this attempt and testified a few times before the Rhode Island state Senators. His convincing argument was that all “personality inventory tests” are based on the same premise that a person projects his personality into all that he does. Consequently, if one bans graphology then one must also ban all forms of personality tests used by companies, such as the MMPI, Myers Briggs, etc.

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In Oregon, the Labor Committee of the State Senate, supported by the Oregon State organization of labor unions AFL-CIO, intended in 1991 to change an existing 1988 law, that had outlawed the polygraph and other means for personnel screening by adding the words “...and handwriting analysis”. A volunteer committee, led by Gary Brown and Dr. Ellen Bowers, testified at the hearings. Eventually, the committee didn't have the votes to outlaw handwriting analysis. During the next two sessions of the legislature, similar attempts to outlaw handwriting analysis were again unsuccessful.

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Thea Stein Lewinson, who had studied graphology in Germany in the 1930’s, worked for many years as the chief graphologists of the CIA. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, the CIA was actively recruiting graphologists, also during congresses of some American graphological associations.

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In Sheila Lowe’s private internet site, a list (not entirely updated) of legal precedents in American courts of justice can be found, acknowledging graphology as a method for personality assessment can be found: http://pages.prodigy.net/writechoice/HWInfo/COURTDEC.pdf

Acknowledgements