The Direction of Slant and Horizontal Stroke as Potential Suggestive Markers for the Determination of Handedness

The task of document examiners is very challenging, as they need to gather all the relevant facts to make an informed decision regarding the questioned document. In the present study, a total of 300 handwriting samples from 100 different writers (involving 50 right-handed and 50 left-handed) were collected at Bundelkhand University, Jhansi. Slant and stroke, as characteristic features of handwriting, were visually examined under a stereomicroscope to ascertain the handedness. Slants and Strokes as characteristic features were analyzed in a total of 300 handwriting samples collected from 50 left-handed and 50 right-handed writers of age 17-22 years. A reference text comprising three pangram sentences printed on A4 paper and a blue ball point pen was used for sampling. The data collected during the study were analyzed using a statistical method (Chi-square test) and revealed that the left-handed writers (LHWs) had a significantly (P < 0.05) different writing style than the right-handed ones. Results indicated that LHWs are more likely to make strokes in the right-to-left direction and slant of letters in the backward direction, while right-handed writers make strokes in the left-to-right direction and slant of letters in the forward direction. The findings of the study showed valuable insight and highlighted the significance of the direction of slant and horizontal stroke as potential indicators for the determination of handedness.