Personality functions of graphic constriction and expansiveness.

It is widely assumed that the constriction or expansiveness of a person's graphic expression is in some sense indicative of his personality. While a similar interpretation of graphic constriction and expansiveness also is offered in much of the work on handwriting interpretation and on the consistency shown among various kinds of expressive behavior in the same individual, it is often argued that just the reverse can occur. Graphic constriction or expansiveness, then, may serve either as a reflection of social introversion-extraversion tendencies, or, alternatively, as a safe level on which to displace behavior tendencies undergoing overt inhibition. A person's claiming to want isolation from others may be viewed as one adaptation to the presence of others in his surroundings. If the individual's adaptation of social introversion is successful, as indicated by an absence of anxiety, then such introversion should be reflected in his covert behavior too, since no strong contrary need is being inhibited from the sphere of overt conduct.