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Graphology Factors Scale for Application in Industry

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Graphology Factors Scale for Application in Industry STANDARDISATION OF THE SEVEN GRAPHOLOGY FACTORS SCALE FOR APPLICATION IN INDUSTRY by CHARMAINE ADELINA ELIOT ELLIOTT submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY in the subject INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY atthe UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROF F VAN N CILLIERS JUNE 1999 I would like to express my sincere thanks to the following individuals who assisted me with this research: Professor Cilliers for his patience and structuring advice, and for facilitating a long process Lee Anderson for ongoing interest, inspiration, support and encouragement Rob Barnes for enduring endless questions about the empirical research, the database, the SPSS statistics, and possibilities in the manipulation of data Graham Walker for providing editing expertise to round off this manuscript Rita Ribbens for being a great mentor from schooldays thirty years ago Harriet lsserow for her expertise in the field of graphology Margaret van der Linde who provided access to WesBank case data and subjects Pam Lawrence who provided access to subjects at First National Bank Helen Finucci, Heather Montgomery, Thandi Mgoduso, Nomsa Ntshingila, Lisa Ashton and Grant Meyer who administered psychometric tests and assisted with scoring and interpretation James Kitching and the staff of the UNISA library who conducted endless literature searches and assisted with the location of material The members of the Johannesburg Graphological Society for access to their specialist library and expertise My late father, Norman Elliott, for encouragement through many years of study Those many lecturers at UNISA and RAU who, through their input, knowledge and feedback, contributed to an incremental process of challenge and learning Many friends, including Eileen Loftus, June Cooper, Judy Klein, Sandy Mey, Lorraine Ingram, Alison Howman, Amanda Bezuidenhout, and Marieta Mostert, who made this research seem worthwhile. 11 I declare that STANDARDISATION OF THE SEVEN GRAPHOLOGY FACTORS SCALE FOR APPLICATION IN INDUSTRY is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated or acknowledged by means of complete references. Charmaine Adelina Eliot Elliott ~.Jo.w, "'·>. .. , •'- ···~-·- ' '>f '• .. , f t •· ~ r 'i!' ~ I 74J "M•-.,, J i 1 ..,..,£::"£:.• • ..:.r;8'"1 ..:. ELL I 111111111111111 0001760594 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Acknowledgements Declaration iii LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIGURES ix ABSTRACT x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 BACKGROUND FOR AND MOTIVATION OF THE 1 RESEARCH 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT 6 1.3 AIMS OF THE RESEARCH 7 1.4 THE PARADIGM PERSPECTIVE 8 1.4.1 THE INTELLECTUAL CLIMATE 8 1.4.2 THE MARKET OF INTELLECTUAL RESOURCES 11 1.4.3 METHODOLOGICAL CONVICTIONS 14 1.5 RESEARCH DESIGN 16 1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 17 1.6.1 PHASE 1 - LITERATURE REVIEW 18 1.6.2 PHASE 2 - EMPIRICAL RESEARCH 18 1.7 CHAPTER DIVISION 23 1.8 CHAPTER SUMMARY 23 CHAPTER 2 PERSONALITY 24 2.1 CONCEPTUALISATION OF PERSONALITY 24 2.1.1 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 24 2.1.2 DEFINITIONS OF PERSONALITY 25 2.1.3 DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALITY 26 2.1.4 STRUCTURE OF PERSONALITY 29 iv 2.2 RELEVANT PERSONALITY FACTORS 37 2.3 HOW PERSONALITY FACTORS DETERMINE EFFECTIVE 38 FUNCTIONING IN INDUSTRY 2.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY 42 CHAPTER3 GRAPHOLOGY 43 3.1 CONCEPTUALISATION OF GRAPHOLOGY 43 3.1.1 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF GRAPHOLOGY 43 3.1.2 DEFINITIONS OF GRAPHOLOGY 45 3.2 RELEVANT EXISTING GRAPHOLOGY MODELS 46 3.3 A GRAPHOLOGY THEORY AND METHOD FOR USE IN 51 INDUSTRY 3.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY 57 CHAPTER 4 METHOD OF INVESTIGATION 58 4.1 POPULATION AND SAMPLE 58 4.2 MEASURING INSTRUMENTS 58 4.2.1 7GFS 59 4.2.2 TAT 61 4.2.3 SORT 68 4.2.4 16PF 72 4.3 DATA GATHERING 75 4.4 DATA PROCESSING 76 4.5 FORMULATION OF HYPOTHESES 78 4.6 CHAPTER SUMMARY 79 CHAPTER 5 RESULTS 80 5.1 REPORTING OF RESULTS 80 5.1.1 SAMPLE 80 5.1.2 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS 80 v 5.1.3 FACTOR ANALYSIS 80 5.1.4 CRONBACH'S ALPHA COEFFICIENT 81 5.1.5 STEPWISE REGRESSION ANALYSIS 81 5.1.6 THREE-WAY ANOVA 83 5.1.7 t-TESTS 84 5.1.8 MANTEL-HAENSZEL TEST 85 5.1.9 NORMS 85 5.2 INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS 87 5.2.1 FACTOR ANALYSIS 88 5.2.2 CRONBACH'S ALPHA COEFFICIENT 96 5.2.3 STEPWISE REGRESSION ANALYSIS 96 5.2.4 THREE-WAY ANOVA 104 5.2.5 t-TESTS 107 5.2.6 MANTEL-HAENSZEL TEST 108 5.2.7 NORMS 109 5.3 CHAPTER SUMMARY 109 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND 110 RECOMMENDATIONS 6.1 CONCLUSIONS 110 6.2 LIMITATIONS OF THIS RESEARCH 112 6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 113 6.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY 116 REFERENCES 117 APPENDICES: A: Final sample 142 B: Descriptive statistics 143 C: Scree diagram 148 vi D: Factor analysis results 149 E: 7GFS scoring key for handwriting characteristics 157 F: Cronbach alpha coefficients for the new 7GF Scale 167 G: Stepwise regression analysis 168 H: Three-way ANOVA 173 I: t-tests 174 J: Mantel-Haenszel test 175 K: Norms 176 L: Graphological factor descriptors from the literature 180 M: Reconciliation of the new 7GFS and original 7GFS items 181 and factors N: 7GFS descriptors, including correlated information from the 189 16PF, SORT and TAT 0: 7GFS MANUAL 206 vii LIST OF TABLES PAGE 1.6 Flow diagram of the research methodology 21 5.1 Consolidated 7GFS findings indicating standardised test 86 correlates and differentiation based on gender, position and language viii LIST OF FIGURES PAGE 2. 3 Personality factors in an open systems framework 41 3.3 A stepping and matching theory of graphology 57 ix STANDARDISATION OF THE SEVEN GRAPHOLOGY_ FACTORS SCALE FOR APPLICATION IN INDUSTRY PROMOTER : PROF F VAN N CILLIERS ABSTRACT The 7 Graphology Factors Scale is standardised for application in industry. A literature study based on the personality theories of Freud, Jung, Murray and Cattell precedes the empirical research. Graphology is conceptualised, relevant existing graphology models are explored and a graphology theory and method for use in industry proposes that graphology should be regulated and applications classified on the same basis as psychometric tests. The empirical research is based on a sample comprising 360 subjects, stratified according to gender, position and language. The written protocol is subject to analysis of 59 characteristics on the basis of the configuration of the writing. Language is irrelevant and the presentation of an intervening stimulus is avoided. Factor analysis results in eight secondary factors. These are I Task Orientation - Directive, II Task Orientation -Conscientious, Ill Emotional Stability, IV Extroversion, V Independence, VI Conceptualisation, VII Openness to Experience and VIII Need for Power. Cronbach's alpha coefficient achieves 0, 61 for Factor I. Stepwise regression analysis provides correlations between factors of the Thematic Apperception, Structured Objective Rorschach and 16 Personality Factor tests with all but Factor Ill, which is hypothesised to be a new construct. Five of the factors are hypothesised to align with the Big Five Personality Model. Three-way analysis of variance, t-tests and the Mantel-Haenszel tests are applied to establish differentiation based on the stratification criteria. Norm tables based on Indigenous, English and Afrikaans first language groups are provided in stens and bands. Conclusions are that graphology has a worthy theoretical heritage and offers benefits to the psychological profession and specifically industry, as part of an assessment strategy. Limitations are outlined and recommendations are made for further research. KEY TERMS Writing analysis, graphology, handwriting analysis, personality, personality assessment, psychometric, psychometric test, projective test, projection. x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The aim of this chapter is to provide the scientific background to the study and to motivate the research. Background information will precede the problem statement. The aims of the research will be presented. The paradigm perspective of the research will be outlined. This will be followed by the research design and the research methodology. The penultimate section indicates the chapter division. The chapter will conclude with a summary. 1.1 BACKGROUND FORAND MOTIVATION OF THE RESEARCH The broad discipline within which this research falls is psychology-that body of knowledge which deals with human behaviour and experience (Stagner & Karwoski, 1952). Psychology evolved as a separate empirical science in 1879, in the laboratory of Wilhelm Wund in Leipzig, Germany (Jordaan & Jordaan, 1984). The focus being on the relationship between man, the laboratory and science. Psychology, as a profession, is concerned with the application of knowledge to practical problems (McCormick & llgen, 1989). Industrial psychology, as a sub-discipline within psychology, is concerned with human behaviour in organisations (McCormick & llgen, 1989). The purpose is to achieve increased productivity, satisfaction and quality of work life (Greenberg & Baron, 1997). This necessitates, amongst other criteria, achieving a job-person match (Muchinsky, Kriek & Schreuder, 1998). This aim is realised by measuring job requirements (Beehr, 1996) and assessing individual attributes (Kleinmuntz, 1982). Personality is a key determinant of behaviour at work (Adler & Weiss, 1988), and it correlates with measures of job performance (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Hunter & Hunter, 1984; Ones, Viswesvaren & Schmidt 1993; Gilliland, 1993). One assessment technique which investigates personality is graphology. Graphology is the science of writing 1 analysis (Hearns, 1966) and one of the oldest psychological approaches (Roman, 1952). Graphology is the subject of a perplexing paradox: the widespread use of graphology is accompanied by a barrage of damnation. It is increasingly being used in commerce (Briault, 1993), and is heralded as the oldest projective technique (Roman, 1952). In France it is applied by 93% of all organisations (Bruchon­ Schweitzer & Ferrieux, 1991; Harris, Dworkin & Park, 1990; Shackleton & Newell, 1991 ), in Europe by 85% (Aamodt, 1996), in Israel by 80% (Edwards & Armitage, 1991 ), and in America by 3000 organisations (Steiner & Gilliland, 1996).
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