Research areas of the institute
Handwriting is a product of brain activity and its control over fine motorics. It is individual and relatively stable. It differs from other fine motoric skills in that it is always related to a cognitive load.
The research of handwriting covers all its aspects:
- Neuropsychological aspects.
- Dynamic aspects – studying the process of writing.
- Static aspects – analysis of written texts.
- Social aspects – the role of handwriting in the society for development and communication.
- Culturological aspects – handwriting is an integral and indispensable part of mankind’s culture.
Correspondingly we have been researching in the following areas.
Adaptation of new achievements in neuropsychology to handwriting analysis
Neuropsychology allows a better understanding of the process of handwriting. The analysis of that kind of information influences both the practical models and the basic concept which signals: “Handwriting is Brain Writing”. In this context, we are mainly dealing with analytical work.
Digital analysis of the writing process
By means of precise measurements on graphical tablets and with other sensors we investigate on-line the dynamics of the handwriting process. That includes different writing modalities, comparison of on-line and off-line text productions, stability of the characteristics of handwriting.
Mathematical modelling of handwriting analysis
Modelling and evaluation of all characteristics of handwriting that could be extracted for the written texts. That includes off-line computer-aided processing and manual evaluation. Formalisation ensures objectivity, reliability and reproducibility of experiments and studies. These models are used in different areas like psychology, forensics or medicine.
An important aspect is the data quality and its optimisation. The quality of the data is crucial for the success of the research. The dangerous trend of using simple statistical methods of correlation leads to erroneous conclusions and reduces confidence in the results. Therefore, we pay great attention to the quality of our research data. We have been developing procedures and methods of evaluation in order to ensure the quality of the data. This includes special statistical and ad-hoc methods.
Handwriting psychology validation
Validation is essential for every psychological assessment method. Together with objectivity and reliability, it ensures that the method correctly and adequately evaluates the psychological characteristics of a person. In the related studies, we compare the results of the handwriting analysis with other tests that are well validated and well established.
Integration models of handwriting analysis with other psychometric tests
The use of a single psychological assessment method does not ensure the required reliability. A formalised handwriting analysis makes it possible to integrate the instrument with other techniques (projective and questionnaires). The integration is based on the output of computer-aided handwriting analysis and computer implementations of additional techniques. The obtained data provides a database and corresponding programs.
Modern tendencies of the handwriting and adaptation of analysis methods
Like all other means of communication, the habits with respect to handwriting have been also considerably changing. Digitalisation has had a great influence on handwriting. However, handwriting remains one of the basic skills. The major rules, models and methods of handwriting analysis have been formed many years ago. They should be revised and adapted. With that intention in mind, we are undertaking multiple statistical evaluations and analytical analyses in order to formally expose the modern trends. This information allows the adaptation of traditional methods and highlights new regularities.
Handwriting as a cultural asset
Historical and artistic values of handwriting.