Regarding the myriad disputed documents encountered within the science of forensic document examination, questioned handwriting is the most prevalent. This includes the simulation or alteration of and or additions to handwriting and signatures. The current study examined the changes that may occur in writing when given a limited amount of space. Several participants completed a survey wherein writing samples were taken under varying space allowances. These space restrictions were made under differing conditions such as boxed signatures, additions to prewritten material, and alterations to letters and numbers. The results of the study found characteristics of reflex of avoidance in the participants' handwriting. These characteristics included changes in height, width, and letter spacing in accordance to the amount of space provided. The examples of reflex of avoidance defined throughout this study may serve to assist forensic document examiners in the detection of alterations within questioned documents.
","abstract_html":"<p>Regarding the myriad disputed documents encountered within the science of forensic document examination, questioned handwriting is the most prevalent. This includes the simulation or alteration of and or additions to handwriting and signatures. The current study examined the changes that may occur in writing when given a limited amount of space. Several participants completed a survey wherein writing samples were taken under varying space allowances. These space restrictions were made under differing conditions such as boxed signatures, additions to prewritten material, and alterations to letters and numbers. The results of the study found characteristics of reflex of avoidance in the participants' handwriting. These characteristics included changes in height, width, and letter spacing in accordance to the amount of space provided. The examples of reflex of avoidance defined throughout this study may serve to assist forensic document examiners in the detection of alterations within questioned documents.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Burkey, Linde Christine Rush"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MA (Master of Arts)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Criminal Justice and Criminology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-05-05T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-05-05T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:31Z","subjects":["forensic","document examination","reflex of avoidance","handwriting","confined space","Criminology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1421","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Burkey, Linde Christine Rush"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2012-05-05T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Criminal Justice and Criminology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA (Master of Arts)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["forensic","document examination","reflex of avoidance","handwriting","confined space","Criminology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2614/viewcontent/BurkeyL041312f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1421"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Regarding the myriad disputed documents encountered within the science of forensic document examination, questioned handwriting is the most prevalent. This includes the simulation or alteration of and or additions to handwriting and signatures. The current study examined the changes that may occur in writing when given a limited amount of space. Several participants completed a survey wherein writing samples were taken under varying space allowances. These space restrictions were made under differing conditions such as boxed signatures, additions to prewritten material, and alterations to letters and numbers. The results of the study found characteristics of reflex of avoidance in the participants' handwriting. These characteristics included changes in height, width, and letter spacing in accordance to the amount of space provided. The examples of reflex of avoidance defined throughout this study may serve to assist forensic document examiners in the detection of alterations within questioned documents.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Reflex of Avoidance in Spatial Restrictions for Signatures and Handwritten Entries"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Burkey, Linde Christine Rush"],"dc:date.issued":["2012-05-05T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Regarding the myriad disputed documents encountered within the science of forensic document examination, questioned handwriting is the most prevalent. This includes the simulation or alteration of and or additions to handwriting and signatures. The current study examined the changes that may occur in writing when given a limited amount of space. Several participants completed a survey wherein writing samples were taken under varying space allowances. These space restrictions were made under differing conditions such as boxed signatures, additions to prewritten material, and alterations to letters and numbers. The results of the study found characteristics of reflex of avoidance in the participants' handwriting. These characteristics included changes in height, width, and letter spacing in accordance to the amount of space provided. The examples of reflex of avoidance defined throughout this study may serve to assist forensic document examiners in the detection of alterations within questioned documents.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2614/viewcontent/BurkeyL041312f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1421"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["forensic","document examination","reflex of avoidance","handwriting","confined space","Criminology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology"],"dc:title":["Reflex of Avoidance in Spatial Restrictions for Signatures and Handwritten Entries"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Criminal Justice and Criminology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MA (Master of Arts)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:31Z"}