Problems of Forensic Sciences 2018 Vol. 115 (CXV) 270-230
LINGUISTIC INTERSUBJECTIVITY OF GRAPHIC-COMPARATIVE METHOD APPLIED IN INDIVIDUALISATION HANDWRITING TESTS
Marta NAWROCKA, Mateusz BUSZKIEWICZ
Department of Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Law and Administration Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
Streszczenie
In order to verify a scientific method in terms of its reliability, it is necessary to check whether it is characterised by intersubjectivity. Intersubjectivity is a feature of cognition that denotes availability for every adequately prepared person. One of the aspects of intersubjectivity is the linguistic aspect. An intersubjective method in the aspect of language is a method that can be understood by every average user of the method. The higher the degree of intersubjectivity, the more reliable and credible the method. The aim of the conducted study was to assess the degree of intersubjectivity in the linguistic aspect of the graphic-comparative method used by experts in handwriting analysis.
The study was attended by 30 experts on forensic handwriting analysis. The experts’ task was to indicate and name seven, in their opinion, most important graphic characteristics of two different signatures. The results were presented using the table and diagrams. It was found that the surveyed experts called the indicated graphic characteristics of signatures in a diversified manner; therefore, compatibility of experts in this area proved to be low. Ergo, intersubjectivity in the linguistic aspect of the graphic-comparative method used in the handwriting analysis of signatures is low.
Słowa kluczowe
Forensic sciences; Method reliability; Inter-rater reliability; Intersubjectivity; Handwriting analysis.