GRAPHOSCOPY: HISTORY, PRINCIPLES AND DIFFERENCES WITH GRAPHOLOGY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The graphology, word comes from the Greek graph (writing) and skopia (observation), is used for the study and analysis of written texts, so you can tell if it is a forgery or not. In general, graphoscopy is used above all in areas such as criminology or judicial investigation.

The goal of graphoscopy is to ensure that a certain person actually wrote or signed a specific text. Unlike graphology, graphology is responsible for studying the personality or mood of the person who wrote the text.

Despite the fact that throughout history a multitude of techniques have been developed to determine the authenticity of a document, the most used have remained the same since the birth of the discipline: analysis, comparison and deduction.

History of graphoscopy

Since the appearance of written texts, it has been of great importance to determine their veracity to avoid falsifications and fraud. As early as ancient Egypt, where writing was done using hieroglyphs, it has been discovered that some of these were manipulated to represent feats that never really took place.

Even in the Code of Hammurabi, one of the first texts written and dated between the XXII and XVIII centuries BC. C., mention is made of the falsifications of symbols. Specifically, it warned of the penalties that would be applied to those who forged a slave brand.

Rome, cradle of graphoscopy

In general, in all ancient civilizations there were cases of fraud of this type. In Rome Cicero denounced the famous general Marco Antonio for manipulating Julius Caesar's orders at will to discredit him.

And it was also in ancient Rome where the technique of graphoscopy appeared, seeking the comparison of writings to determine the veracity of a document.

However, during the Middle Ages all knowledge related to this discipline was lost, since in the judicial sphere it was considered that eyewitnesses had more credibility than texts.

The figure of the expert

It was not towards the end of the Middle Ages, in the 13th century, that an interest in graphoscopy re-emerged.

Under the reign of Alfonso X the Wise, the figure of the expert was created for the first time in problematic writings and documents. This profession was in charge of verifying the authenticity of the texts during judicial processes; some of the techniques used at this time are used today.

In subsequent centuries, with the rise of written texts, more and more writings and signatures began to be forged. In this way, between the 16th and 19th centuries the figure of the calligraphic expert was regulated, a name given to graphoscopes in those times.

Emergence of treaties on graphoscopy

As early as the 19th century, treatises on graphoscopy techniques appeared throughout Europe. For example, in France the manual La photographie judicieie by RA Reiss appears and in Germany the book by Paul Jeserich Handbuch der Kriminalistiche photographie is published.

Also in this century, the Common Law admits the validity of certain graphoscopic techniques as evidence for judicial problems.

In 1929, Osborn systematized the graphoscopic techniques he had collected from various sources, trying to add a more rigorous and scientific touch to them.

From this moment on, graphoscopy was regularized, in part thanks to the founding in 1950 of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, one of the most important international associations in this discipline.

Principles of graphoscopy

Graphoscopy is mainly based on two ideas:

- Two people cannot produce exactly the same type of writing.

- The same person does not have the same handwriting at all times, but there are natural variations in their writing.

Therefore, the job of an expert in graphoscopy is to determine whether two texts have been written by the same person, or by different people.

The difficulty lies in determining if the differences between these two texts are due to natural variations in writing, or if on the contrary it is a forgery.

The 3 steps to determine the originality of a text

The process used to determine the veracity of a document has three parts: analysis, comparison and deduction.

Analysis

The first step is to examine both the document in question and a sample of the person's true handwriting.

The graphoscope looks for certain characteristics inherent to his way of writing, such as the font and the space between them, the size and proportion, flourishes, and other elements.

Comparison

The second step, the comparison, consists of looking for the most striking differences between the sample and the document to be examined.

In addition to the characteristics of the letters and the way of writing, the expert will also take into account elements such as grammar, sentence construction and punctuation.

Evaluation

Finally, in the evaluation, the graphoscope takes all the evidence available to it and determines whether the text is a forgery or, on the contrary, is true.

Differences with graphology

Although graphology and graphoscopy are both based on the analysis of written texts and their characteristics, the two disciplines have different objectives and techniques.

- While graphology is based on the study of a text to determine whether it is a forgery or not, graphology consists of the analysis of writing with the aim of studying the personality or state of mind of the person who wrote it. wrote.

- Graphology is more used in areas such as psychology or therapy, since it is a method to know the personality traits of an individual. This technique can be used both with current texts and with older ones, in such a way that it is intended to know the characteristics of an important historical person.

- In certain areas, graphology is considered an unreliable technique and the evidence it provides must be supported by conclusions drawn from other disciplines. However, graphoscopy can be used as conclusive evidence in a judicial process, which is why it is considered a more serious discipline.

References

1. "Forensic Handwriting Analysis" in: Roboforensic. Retrieved on: February 27, 2018 from Roboforensic: roboforensic.com.
2. "Grafoscopia" in: Academia. Retrieved on: February 27, 2018 from Academia: academia.edu.
3. "La grafoscopia" in: I am a Criminalist. Retrieved on: February 27, 2018 from Soy Criminalista: soycriminalista.blogspot.com.es.
4. "Graphoscopy today" in: Forensic expression. Retrieved on: February 27, 2018 from Forensic Expression: expresionforense.com.
5. "Graphoscopy, graphology and calligraphy" in: Lawyer and expert. Retrieved on: February 27, 2018 from Lawyer and expert: abogadosyperito.com.