4.1191 Writing and Graphologists (3/80)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Fri, 29 Mar 91 17:03:26 EST
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 1191. Friday, 29 Mar 1991.
(1) Date: Wed, 27 Mar 1991 13:09:21 GMT+0300 (47 lines)
From: LBJUDY@VMSA.TECHNION.AC.IL
Subject: RE: 4.1177 Writing Anecdotes
(2) Date: Thu, 28 Mar 91 08:21:25 GMT (19 lines)
From: DEL2@phoenix.cambridge.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [4.1177 Writing Anecdotes
(3) Date: Thu, 28 Mar 91 9:58 GMT (14 lines)
From: BANKS@VAX.OXFORD.AC.UK
Subject: More technophobia and writing
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 1991 13:09:21 GMT+0300
From: LBJUDY@VMSA.TECHNION.AC.IL
Subject: RE: 4.1177 Writing Anecdotes (was Technophobia and Writing)
"Some (not academic) jobs now require a hand-written letter of
application... as far as I can tell, it's to see whether the person
can in fact spell and write without machines."
-- In Israel we went through a spell a few years ago when many,
many jobs, including in universities (but not academic staff),
required hand-written letters (not written on-site). The reason
had nothing to do with spelling; the letter was turned over to
a graphologist (no kidding!) who pronounced a verdict on the
person's character, temperament and suitability for the position
being offered. In at least one case that I know of personally,
a construction engineer who'd spent a few years directing large-
scale projects for an Israeli construction firm in Africa was
unable to get a job doing exactly the same, on a much smaller
scale, in Israel on his return, because the graphologist said
he was totally unsuitable for such a position (after 6 months
he left the country). I once worked out that it's to the
graphologist's advantage to pronounce people as unsuited rather
than suited to the position (if the probability of the decision
being correct is no greater than chance) -- but that's another
story. Fanciful? If it can happen here it can happen in the
U.S. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to enquire why a hand-written
letter is needed...
Incidentally, the current rage over here is to assess suitability
by psychometric tests rather than handwriting. As far as I can
tell their success rate at predicting success isn't much better
than chance either. (Example: a friend who decided on a mid-life
career change was refused entry to a government-run programming
course, because the psychometric tests showed she was totally
unsuitable for the profession. It took her several months of
pleading and a signed statement that they were under no obligation
to try to find employment for her etc. etc. before they agreed
to accept her. She graduated top of the class. Oh, her previous
profession? Specialist multi-lingual typesetting, i.e. persuading
the most advanced printing machines to do everything their
software was supposed to and then some. They'd call her in,
as a consultant, when nobody else could "talk" to the machine...
She still does it in her spare time, because people like that are
so rare that it's too lucrative to give up. Perhaps they're also
too rare for the psychometric tests.)
Judy Koren
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------29----
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 91 08:21:25 GMT
From: DEL2@phoenix.cambridge.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [4.1177 Writing Anecdotes (was Technophobia and Writing)]
Leslie Morgan wrote recently
> 1. some (not academic) jobs now require a hand-written letter of
> application (written on-site) instead of, or following, the word-
> processed application. This has been happening recently; as far
> as I can tell, it is to see whether the person can in fact spell
> and write without machines!
According to a radio interview here recently, the reason is not as he
supposes, but because graphology is now big business in big business.
The letters are sent for analysis to gain insight into the personality
and suitability of the candidates. Are any Humanists exploring the
scientific basis of such analyses?
Douglas de Lacey,
Cambridge University.
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------22----
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 91 9:58 GMT
From: BANKS@VAX.OXFORD.AC.UK
Subject: More technophobia and writing
Perhaps this was a message that got lost... In reply to Leslie Morgan's
point on companies requesting hand-written letters with job
applications, I'd heard that they promptly send the letter off to a
graphologist to "analyse". The British paper, "The Guardian", carries
European job ads at the weekends and the French ones invariably ask for
hand-written letters. Presumably someone, somewhere believes in
graphology.
Marcus Banks
Social Anthropology, Oxford
BANKS@UK.AC.OXFORD.VAX