Page 11 - An Inky Lead Questioned Documents

even if an examiner cannot differentiate between admire into their own handwriting will significantly
two samples, it does not mean that there is no alter the way they write. His or her handwriting
difference. The best that can be said is that there will still have a foundation from the copybook, but
is a high degree of similarity between samples, many individual characters will be introduced by
however differences may still exist that even a the time the student becomes an adult and their
trained examiner may overlook. handwriting style becomes more stable.

No person writes exactly the same way twice. It Different writers also have differing degrees of
was previously believed that a person’s handwriting graphic maturity, which is defined as the amount of
exhibited very little variability, however, it is conscious attention the writer must give to the act
now recognized that a single writer produces a of writing. New writers have less graphic maturity
great deal of variability. This causes handwriting and must consciously think about how to form
recognition analysis to become a task of letters. When the writer has no doubt as to how
determining whether a given sample falls within a the letters are formed, they can create letters as
writer’s natural variability. If, however, a sample of a single act. Experienced writers can write groups
writing falls within more than one person’s natural of letters and words as a single unit; there is no
variability, no determination can be made between hesitation as to what letter follows next, and the
them. For this reason, when a forensic handwriting writer can focus on the word level. At the final level,
analysis is performed, the examiner will ask for the writer creates phrases and sentences as a
multiple handwriting samples. Armed with the single act; the writing is often very quick, and the
added samples, the examiner can determine the writer’s thoughts may be several sentences ahead.
mean of the writer’s variation, referred to as that An increased speed in writing follows increased
writer’s “master pattern”. graphic maturity as the muscle movements
needed to create letters, words, and sentences are
Handwriting is dependent on many factors which subconscious
can be divided into two groups. Factors in the first
group derive from a given writer and their master Finally, handwriting can be influenced by a writer’s
pattern; factors in the second group are transient, psychological condition, such as schizophrenia,
affecting only a given act of writing. alcoholism, or other psychological conditions.
Unique characters may be incorporated into a
Each writer’s master pattern is unique; it is created writer’s master pattern because of this condition.
during childhood and adjusted throughout a Through treatment of the condition, those
writer’s life. During childhood, when a person characters may be dropped from the writer’s
learns to write, they are provided with letters in a habit, however, a specific condition or personality
copybook that act as a template. Through practice, trait does not introduce the same character into
the child copies the letters until they become handwriting for all writers.
second nature, and he or she no longer needs to
think about the steps needed to create individual Graphology is a pseudoscientific endeavor.
letters. At this stage, the letterforms still greatly In graphology handwriting is used to divine
resemble those in the copybook and are nearly the personality of the writer. This, however, is
identical to his or her classmates’. These letters are impossible.
easily read, but are neither aesthetic nor quickly
written. As the child matures, their desire to write Forensic document examiners look for a number
more quickly and to incorporate letterforms they of features when characterizing handwriting, such

THE MYSTERY OF LYLE AND LOUISE 11