Syllabus Part 1

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GRAPHOLOGY

A: EYE-TRAINING

1. To provide a sound basis from which to prepare a report, the student must be aware of the wide range of possible movements that may occur in a person’s handwriting (h/w)
2. The student must be able to observe and record all the relevant movements in a sample of h/w
3. The student must adopt an organised and systematic (scientific) method of working
4. The student must be accurate and factual in all observations
5. The student must be able to:-
   1. produce a list of movements or ‘check list’, under which the first general impressions of the script are accurately recorded
   2. assess accurately and record, the speed and form level (standard), and understand their application to a script
   3. recognise and assess in a script, all the individual movements and categories of movements that are present, and allocate them correctly to the following areas:-
      1. Degree of rhythm - e.g. rhythmic, arrhythmic, stilted etc.
      2. Degree and consistency of regularity / irregularity
      3. Size with reference to:
         • absolute size
         • individual zonal sizes
         • balance of zones
         • fluctuations of absolute size and / or individual zones
         • increasing / decreasing of letters or words
      4. Slant of the downstrokes in relation to the baseline
      5. Degree and placement of pressure - heavy, medium, light, lateral, varying
      6. Type of stroke - pasty, sharp, distinct, etc.
      7. Degree of currency - good, fair, disturbed
      8. Layout
         • on the page
         • margins
         • spacing between words, letters, lines, paragraphs
         • address
         • signature
         • envelope
      9. Baselines
         • direction of slope
         • shape
         • spacing
      10. Horizontal expansion of letters (width) - broadness / narrowness
      11. Horizontal tension - e.g. well sustained, slack, weak etc.
      12. Degree of connection of letters within words - e.g. connected, disconnected etc.
      13. Form of connection - e.g. copybook, angular, arcade, garland, wavy-line, thread etc.
      14. Style (form of letters) - full, lean, simplified, neglected, enriched, elaborated, printed, calligraphic (stylised), rounded, square
      15. Tendencies - rightward, leftward (given as dominants, secondaries or miscellaneous movements as appropriate) in any or all of the three zones
      16. Other movements
          • starting and ending strokes
          • oval letters
          • capital letters
          • diacritics
          • personal pronoun ‘I’
          • covering strokes and counter strokes
      17. Other miscellaneous movements

B: ASSEMBLING DATA FOR WORKING NOTES

1. The observations must be assembled under appropriate headings for use when preparing a report. From a given script, the student must be able to discern and make a list describing fully:-
   1. the dominant handwriting movements and features
   2. the secondary handwriting movements
   3. the miscellaneous handwriting movements
2. The student must know the general meaning and psychological interpretation of all the basic graphological movements
3. The student must understand the reasons for the need for supporting evidence before any interpretation is included in a report. This principle must be applied in practice by the student, providing as confirmatory evidence in the working notes, 2 or more other handwriting movements having the same or similar psychological meaning.
4. The student must adopt an organised way of reproducing and using the working notes for the preparation of a report
5. From the number of occurrences and the strength of movements, the student must be able to assess the degree of emphasis (correct weighting) that should be given to an interpretation.

C: INTEGRATION OF WORKING NOTES TO PRODUCE THE BRIEF PORTRAIT

1. The student must be able to allocate the confirmed interpretations to one or more of the six main categories:-
   • General Vitality and General Well-Being
   • Personality Structure
   • Social Attitudes and Reactive Behaviour
   • Intellectual Qualities
   • Working Qualities
   • Interests and Personal Tastes
2. The student must be able to translate the confirmed interpretations into appropriate sentences and paragraphs, using clear, simple language, avoiding technical terms and expressing any negative interpretations in as positive and constructive a manner as possible.
3. The student must be able to take into consideration speed, regularity and form level and apply them to the interpretation in order to compile a sketch or outline of the personality as a whole.
4. The student must be able to combine several, often contradictory, interpretations in order to integrate the description of the character.
5. The student must be able to review the report critically and objectively to avoid any anomalies under individual headings and between sections; and to ensure that the report flows as a well- rounded, integrated and consistent whole.
6. The student must number all pages and submit all work, including the working notes, in a presentable and tidy manner.
7. The student must understand the application of the Institute’s Code of Ethics in all its aspects.