Illegibleโ handwriting May Be a Sign of High Intelligence,Research Suggests
The notion of โintelligence โขis often linked to โanalyticalโ and logical skills,but experts suggest โit manifests in unexpected everyday habits as well. Surprisingly, the way a person writes may reveal more about their cognitive abilities than previously thought – and it’s not neat penmanship that catches the eye of psychologists. A commonโค characteristic appears among highly intelligent individuals when they putโ pen to paper.
Recent research indicates a correlation between less-than-perfect handwriting and higher intelligence.โ A study published in The American Journal โof Psychology and reported by Le Figaro Student, conducted by a researcher atโ Yale University, found that students with more โchallenging-to-read handwriting tended to have higher IQs. The research focused on โคthe shape of letters, rather than spelling accuracy, to identifyโค cognitive profiles.
The study involved โcomparing the handwriting of students from primary โขschool through university, analyzed โฃby 105 teachers. Researchers then correlated these observations with the students’ IQโข scoresโ and academic โperformance. The results showed that those with poorer handwriting, on average, demonstrated higher intelligence. Psychologist Arnold L. Gesel noted that “children with illegible handwriting showed high mental abilities and above-average mental agility.” He further observed thatโข “Those with sloppy handwriting, but goodโฃ spelling, have betterโ grades throughout their schooling.”
The clarification, โฃaccording to the research, lies in the speed at wich intelligent individuals process details. Their thoughts move so rapidly that their hands struggle to keep pace. The brain โฃprioritizes โฃprocessing ideas over meticulously forming letters, resulting in faster writingโฃ that indicates well-developed language and vision areas. This isn’t a sign of carelessness,but rather a reflection of a constantly active and agile mind.
Though, the study acknowledges that โfactors beyond intelligence can contribute to messy handwriting,โ including muscularโ fatigue, psychomotor difficulties, and poor posture. Graphedagogue Laurence pierson, speaking to Figaro Student, also โpoints out the declining importance of handwriting in the digital age, with keyboard use replacing manual practice.
Despite these considerations, the research offers a new perspective: those who scribble โquickly and with less regard for aestheticsโ may have a legitimateโ reason to defendโ their handwriting as a sign of speedy thinking.
