Alfred Binet and Crépieux-Jamin: Can intelligence be measured scientifically by graphology?

By Serge Nicolas, Bernard Andrieu, Rasyid Bo Sanitioso, Romain Vincent, David J. Murray
English

It is rarely mentioned that Alfred Binet (1857–1911), who had worked as a lawyer in Paris between 1878 and 1884, had always been interested in forensic examinations, particularly when they involved handwriting analysis. In France, the “Dreyfus affair” in 1894-1895 drew public attention to the potential usefulness of handwriting analysis in legal matters. However, Binet, who became recognized as an experimental psychologist at that time, initially considered graphology to be a pseudo-science. In his opinion, the scientific reliability of handwriting analysis still needed to be proved, a major obstacle that prevented this method from being employed in a legal framework. However, as he became progressively more interested in the applications of scientific psychology, Binet’s attitude was modified in the early 1900s when he decided to test the scientific validity of graphology with the help of experts in the field, among whom was Jules Crépieux-Jamin (1859-1940). This shift can be explained by his growing interest in individual psychology as well as by his enrolment in the Free Society for the Psychological Study of the Child. This society had created a committee dedicated to handwriting analysis. Interested particularly in the scientific study of intelligence, he collaborated, from 1902 onwards with Crépieux-Jamin in several experiments aimed at discovering objective and exterior signs of intelligence in handwriting. He published an interesting book in 1906 about what can be deduced from handwriting in scientifically controlled studies. In the current paper we propose 1. an analysis of the context of Binet’s interest in graphology, 2. a review of his multiple works in this field, and finally, 3. an account of the reception of Binet’s book on graphology. The studies conducted by Binet in the field of graphology were typical examples of the scientific approach he promoted in psychology; namely, the detailed investigation of the behavior of a few exceptional individuals.

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