A Component Analysis of Handwriting

Abstract

In this research, the authors sought to better define the underlying component structure of the variables in handwriting. Two hundred forty-four university students were asked to copy two paragraphs of handwriting that encompassed all the letters and numbers of the English alphabet. Twenty-five handwriting characteristics (e.g., slant of letters, angle of baseline, word size) were measured in each paragraph. A three-factor solution accounted for 21% of the variance, with strong loading, suggesting a trichotomy of heights, widths, and angles. These three factors may be the determinants of the upstrokes, downstrokes, and curves in handwriting. These data aid in the understanding of handwriting variables and allow these factors to be captured through the marker variables.