海外文化:英美民俗-筆體學

【英文原文】

摘要：筆體學旨在研究人的筆跡以提示人的性格。雖然大多數科學家稱之為偽科學，筆體學在歐洲仍然流行。美國有些公司在雇傭員工時也要征求筆體學家的意見。

Graphology is the study of a person’s handwriting to reveal something about his or her personality. Although most scientists regard graphology as a pseudoscience, its practice is widespread in Europe. Many American business firms consult graphologists for advice about which people to hire.

Some principles of graphology are true. For example, handwriting can show whether a person is sick, old, or nervous. But most of the other principles of graphology lack scientific proof. For example, graphologists claim that lines slanting upward indicate high spirits, and that lines slanting downward show low spirits.

The serious study of the relationship between handwriting and personality has been more widespread in Europe than in other places in the world. In the last 19th century, the French psychologist Alfred Binet tested seven graphologists. He asked them to distinguish writing samples of average man. All the graphologists performed better than expected, and one scored correctly on 92 per cent of the cases. But most other attempts to prove the exact relationships between personality and handwriting have not been successful.

Though graphology probably has limited value, many psychologists consider the study of handwriting a useful method to obtain information about a patient’s personality without asking direct questions about it. Several universities in Europe still teach graphology courses now.