Horizontal Overextension in Copies of Handwriting Dependent on Characteristics of the Model and the Habitual Handwriting of the Copier

In handwritten copy there are often systematic errors such as horizontal and vertical overextension and increased uprightness in slant. This study was designed to find out whether the horizontal overextension depends on characteristics of the model, on the mode of copy production, or on the characteristics of the copier's normal handwriting. 100 subjects copied different models with and without interruptions of movement. Contrary to expectations there was less overextension with a continuous mode of production and with more extended models; familiarity with the model had no effect on the extension error. Further analysis showed that the overextension was particularly small during longer horizontal passages. The correlations with the subjects' normal handwriting were only minimal. In the discussion possible bases for the overextension and the consequences for expertise in forensic handwriting analysis were considered.