Mulholland 1

Christopher Mulholland
WR 13300
Erin McLaughlin
24 November 2015
Handwriting is Failing to Forget
Technology changes the way humans live their lives. With each new invention, some
menial job is eliminated, some inconvenience hurdled, or some task which had always seemed
impossible becomes a possibility. One of the biggest and most significant technological
advancements in the last fifty years was the internet. The vast network of information and
communication has transformed human lives more than anything before it. One cannot count the
advantages of this new technology, from advertisement to security to research and beyond.
However, the new technology may have other, less anticipated effects. There is a new culture that
revolves around digital communication. In 2011, the National Common Core Education
standards for the year were released, and for the first time ever they did not require a cursive
handwriting class. This left it up to the states to include it in the additional 15% that was to only
apply to their state. Several states decided to replace the handwriting class with keyboarding, a
much more useful skill in the modern era. The shift from handwriting to keyboarding may seem
like a smart one, for the latest generation has been born into and will learn and work in a digital
age. (Kysilko 1) Chances are the average student today will do much more typing in his or her
life than any other generation has before. It may even be getting to the point where a student will
spend more time typing than writing by hand throughout his or her life. This is a good thing, isnt
it? Typing is faster, neater, and easier to replicate or share. Students need not carry around many
notebooks, pencils and paper when all they need is a laptop computer. The internets vast range

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of data is made possible by those who type it up and share it. Indeed it may seem, and so some
school boards are convinced, that handwriting is a thing of the past. However, psychology tells a
different story. There is a growing body of research from the last 10 to 15 years that points to
the educational benefits of learning to write by handbenefits that go well beyond just the
ability to write and read cursive. (Kysilko 2) These include development of cognitive and motor
skills, the brain, literacy, and most importantly, memory. Our memory is perhaps the most
important treasure we hold. It is a complex feature of the brain. Our memory allows us to learn
from our surroundings and our experiences. Through it we recognize the familiar face, picture,
process, or street. In many ways, our memory is what makes us human. It is the responsibility,
therefore, of parents and educators to aid in the development of students memories to the best of
their abilities. If failing to practice proper handwriting is diminishing the capabilities of young
people, something must be changed. This paper questions the decisions of the boards of
Education Standards, as well as observing the effects that all technology has had on the
development of memory. The psychological processes behind handwriting and keyboarding
greatly differ, affecting the short and long-term memory capacities of developing minds. By
exploring the processes of synthesis, storage, and retrieval, the answer to the handwriting debate
may not be far away.
The power of handwriting begins with letter recognition. In a 1979 study by Hulme,
children were asked to memorize abstract graphics by either tracing them with a finger or by
simply looking at them. The results showed that the tracing entails a higher memorization of the
abstract items then the activity of looking at them. (Alonso 2) This suggests a close connection
between visual and motor information in the brain. Another study proved that the free creation of
letters made for an even more enhanced comprehension. Categorizing letters and recognizing the

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different styles and ways to represent each one requires more enhanced neural activity,
incorporating more areas than just the visual capabilities of the brain. The results of these
experiments indicate a strong interaction between perceptual and motor systems during pseudoletter and letter perception (Alonso 2) Taking the time to write letters by hand uses more areas
of your brain and thus reduces the chances of them being forgotten, while also cultivating a
strong capacity for learning.
Letter recognition is only a small part of the power behind handwriting. Judy Willis
writes, When writing is embedded throughout the curriculum, it promotes the brain's attentive
focus to classwork and homework, boosts long-term memory, illuminates patterns, gives the
brain time for reflection, and when well-guided, is a source of conceptual development and
stimulus of the brain's highest cognition. (Willis 2011) There are several key differences
between handwriting and keyboarding that bring about these results. The first is the
aforementioned action of moving the hand to form letters. While writing the motor and visual
skills are working in unison to store information in the brain. Another significant difference is the
speed of handwriting versus the speed of typing. In handwriting, only one hand is employed, and
each letter must be carefully formed. There is always a focus on legibility and uniformity of
script. Handwriting is something one must learn, whereas keyboarding is not so complicated. At
the push of a button, the letter is formed. Now, there are keyboarding skills to be learned, such as
the way to type quickly by using certain fingers for specific keys, but this skill is much more a
matter of practice and experience. With significant practice typing can be almost as fast as
speaking, and mush faster than even the fastest handwriting. That would make keyboarding
better, wouldnt it? Fast and efficient keyboarding is a valuable skill, and an inarguably useful
one in the modern era. However, by slowing down the writing process, the brain is allowed to

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process the information much better. This is particularly applicable to note-taking. While some
typists would simply write everything they hear almost verbatim, the hand written note-taker
must decide what information is important and must be written, finding ways to summarize,
paraphrase, or otherwise decide what to write down. In doing so, handwriting allows for a higher
retention. The reticular activating system, known as the RAS, is the part of the brain that filters
information. The practice of handwriting utilizes the RAS much more and, in doing so, has the
brain begin processing the significance and understanding of the information as it is received.
Any note-taker would testify to the fact that having information on paper for later use is not the
only reason to take notes. Rather, it is in the process of taking notes itself that the brain already
begins to process the information and to commit it to memory. Then, not only are they written
down for later reference, but there is less work to be done to memorize the information. This
secondary capability is what makes hand-written notes so much better. While typing may be
neater and quicker, handwriting makes memorizing much easier.
The brain has several ways of storing information. Short-term, or working memory is
always being used to take note of ones surroundings. Working memory can seen as [a mental]
scratch pad, a sort of librarian of the mental system. (Bjork 421) This memory is readily
available for retrieval and is continually processed. Studies have linked the capacity of working
memory in individuals to problem solving, abstract reasoning, procedural skills, and reading
comprehension. While working memory is the librarian, long-term memory is the library. It is
much more complicated, organized into many different sections and storing information in
different ways, ranging from conceptual data to images and visual-spatial representation. The
long term memory can be difficult to draw from, and relies on the working memory to efficiently
encode, store and retrieve information. The retrieval process in particular is governed by cues

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that will bring memories to light. Much of this process was not studied until the last fifty years.
Psychologists have focused on repeated testing of retrieval (with little interruptions), presentation
of cues, judgments made at retrieval, and comparisons of different instruction in order to
discover more about the retrieval of long-term memory. (Bjork 199) In a 1932 article,
psychologist McGeoch defined two conditions that increased forgetting: retroactive interference,
which refers to the impaired ability to remember an item when it is similar to other items stored
in memory, (Bjork 237) and a difference in stimulating conditions. (Bjork 203) Understanding
the process of retrieval is important in understanding the whole function of memory. When
applied, the learning strategies invented by these psychologists are truly useful. The universal
agreement is that handwriting stimulates the functions or the working memory and allows more a
more efficient encoding, storage, and retrieval of information.
In addition to memorizing facts, handwriting notes are proven to result in a deeper
understanding of conceptual data. One study by Mueller had some students take notes on a
lecture using a laptop while others where to write them by hand. They were tested a half-hour
later on the bases of factual and conceptual knowledge. The scores were similar when both
groups were tested for factual knowledge, but the handwriting students scored higher in the area
of inferences and conceptual understanding. In addition, when tested again a week later, the
students writing by hand scored higher on factual knowledge as well. (Mueller 2014) Because of
the faster speed, the keyboarders had more of a tendency to revert to a mindless transcription of
the information with little thought about the actual material, while in addition the high amount
of registered information inhibits its management by overloading the cognitive processes.
(Alonso 3) They were trying to process just the words so they could type them all out. In
contrast, the hand-writer knows he cannot write down everything, so he must think. Thus, the

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quicker speed is not always a good thing, but rather by slowing down the note-taking process,
students will learn much better.
While many recognize the advantages to note taking by hand, the instruction of cursive
handwriting is still overlooked, instead being excused by the ability to print letter when there is
no digital device available. However, is cursive handwriting in particular that carries with it so
many advantages. Firstly, failure to learn cursive leads to an inability to read it, excluding the use
of many primary documents that may become obsolete if cursive handwriting is neglected long
enough in schools. David Kysilko writes in a National Association of State Boards of Education
policy update, cursive is a powerful cultural and historical link to human development, since the
drive and ability to draw symbols with our hands is one of the defining characteristics of our
species. (Kysilko 1) Cursive is more fluidic and easier to write that printing if it is learned
correctly. The rounded edges and strung-together letters require even more deliberate motor
skills and enhanced neural processing. Kysilko goes on to list five additional benefits to learning
cursive. The first is the development of cognitive and motor skills. Cursive is complex and
involves focus on cognitive (acquiring knowledge) and the act of representing it on paper. This
aids in the development in these vital skills that are used in other areas beyond writing. Another
is literacy development. The practice of learning cursive writing can help a student learn critical
thinking, comprehension, and spelling skills. It is a foundational skill that the brain can build on.
Interestingly enough, cursive is directly linked to the regions of the brain that control thinking,
language, and short-term memory. The practice of stringing together a sequence of words has
shown to actually improve the brains ability to make connections. It has been established that
the motor skills used and the use of the RAS improves the retention of information that is written
in the memory. Other studies have shown that elementary students writing in cursive wrote

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longer essays with more ideas. It has also been shown that a vital part of therapy for students
with disabilities is formal handwriting instruction. (Kysilko 2) With this in mind, it is apparent
that the exclusion of handwriting instruction, meaning that most students will never learn
cursive, even if they can print, is a loss of a vital skill.
Memory carries a great responsibility in our world. Those who forget are those who are
disorganized, tardy, or unintelligent. Indeed, the whole education system would be useless if no
students remembered what they were taught. Society gives the human memory another important
task in the setting of the court system. Witnesses are called to the stand to testify about the case.
Perjury is a crime, but forgetting cannot be always be avoided. Many psychologists and judicial
analysts believe that there is too much influence on the case given to the testimony by memory.
Under common law, eyewitness testimony remains the strongest evidence that can be brought
against an accused, and it alone can lead to a conviction. (Bishop 1988) In a presentation at
Stanford Law School, George Fisher and Barbara Tversky, professors of Law and Psychology,
call the honesty of witnesses the bedrock of the American judicial process. (Fisher, Tversky
1999) They explain how witnesses make a deep impression on the jury, but are often most
fallible. It begs the question: How many trials have resulted in false convictions due to the
inaccuracy of memory? Memory is a touchy part of the brain. It has been shown how even the
act of typing information rather than writing by hand can significantly reduce the ability for the
brain to retain it. An eyewitness, then, who may have only gotten a brief glance of the
perpetrator, has even less ability to pick that person out of a lineup or recount the event. More
and more often, psychologists are being brought to the stand to testify to the inaccuracy of
memory. Many studies about the accuracy of witness testimonies have shown that the
introduction of new information, usually in the form of false cues, can greatly alter a persons

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memory. This is because human memory is full of gaps that the brain fills upon retrieval, but the
memories are often distorted. When the witness is asked to pick someone out of a lineup, he may
pick someone who has many of the features he remembers, but whose other features have been
assumed to match. He may be completely convinced of his choice even though his brain cut
corners. A brief glance may not be enough time to pick out an eye color, but the brain may
misremember a certain color once it sees a face with other features it does remember. The courts
recognize the fallibility of memory, but often there is not enough hard data to prove a suspect
guilty or innocent. This puts the judicial system in a tough position on the basis of practice.
The US court have built in checks on the inaccuracy of witness testimonies using crossexamination and common sense, but a significant amount of cases still slip through. A study
conducted in 2007 analyzed records of exonerations from capital rape-murder cases in the 1980s,
attempting to find a wrongful conviction rate. They came up with about a 3.3% rate, estimated to
be closer to 5%. (Risinger 2007) This estimation exists because not every wrongful conviction is
realized, and most likely there are even more people who were convicted falsely but never
exonerated. This percentage is small, but any amount of false convictions is too many. The goal
of the justice system is to convict the guilty and clear the innocent. A significant portion or these
false convictions can be attributed to the false testimony of witnesses that swayed a jury. More
often than not, these people are not attempting to lie, but they are misremembering.
This rate of false convictions due to unintentionally false testimonies is a problem that
ought to be solved. One solution would be to eliminate the testimony of witnesses and therefore
eliminate human error from the case, but it is simply not plausible. There is often not enough
objective evidence to prove the case, and the eyewitness testimony is a vital step in the jury
getting the full picture of what occurred in the case. Rather, the process of remembering can be

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aided by other means. If memory is so easily distorted, it is vital that young people are brought
up with strong, well-formed memory capacities. The ability to hand write is closely connected to
this. Firstly, imagine a person who witnesses a crime but cannot legibly write down information
about what he saw. Even the ability for the brain to remember details can be affected by the
amount of handwriting practice it has received. However, if we are truly creating a culture of
typists, a future generation that has never been taught to write properly, the capabilities of the
human memory may be diminished. Handwriting is by no means a solution to the false
conviction rate, but there is a notable connection between handwriting, memory, and witness
testimony. If society disvalues the written word, thus moving to a digitalized world, the
capabilities of the memory will suffer. This could increase the already problematic amount of
misremembered testimonies in court, adding to the rate of convicting the innocent.
While the shift from handwriting to typing in society has significance in the area of
memory, there are other impacts that the technological era has had on the human mind. With the
development of the internet, information became readily available, until today the most abstract
of facts can be found within seconds using a smartphone. When the name of an actor or lyric to a
song is just beyond the reach of memory, the natural inclination for many people today is to
immediately look it up. The internet makes it quick and easy, without a person having to find a
relevant book or article and flipping through pages to find the right one. What could have takes
hours now takes seconds. There are countless applications made to create digital reminders,
messages, and notes conveniently and easily. Indeed, there is little one has to remember if he
uses technology to its full capacity. Why commit something to memory when it can be
effortlessly retrieved at any time? Not only are people of this generation not learning to write and

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thus develop key psychological skills, but they are also not practicing using their memories. The
digital age has ushered in an era of cheap information and shallow understanding.
Technology is a good thing, and the emergence of the internet was and still is a worldchanging phenomenon. It makes economies run smoothly, controls expenses, and acts as a
communication system throughout the planet. Unfortunately, the use of computers has
diminished the appreciation for hand-written text. There are significant psychological advantages
to practice cursive, taking notes by hand, and considering what information must be written don
and what should not. The advantages include increased development of visual and motor skills,
brain enhancement, literacy improvement, and even therapy for learning disabilities. I other
words, handwriting makes a person smarter, and a culture that supports the careful instruction
and testing of handwriting is one that is promoting a true learning environment. There are many
states today that do not require cursive handwriting instruction, or otherwise leave it up to local
districts to decide whether or not to include it. While many may see it as obsolete, cursive is the
most intuitive form of handwriting, literally enhancing the capabilities of the brain. It ought to be
revivedfor this reason and for the sake of being able to read those documents that have already
been written in it. The human memory is an intricate and vital function of the brain, and to take
advantage of every opportunity to enhance it is to prepare for success. The issue of handwriting
versus keyboarding is still a hot topic nationally, and it is important to understand the impact it
has on the development of the memories of young students. We want future generations to be
intelligent, able to testify accurately in court, able to take notes and remember information that is
taught to them, and especially able to express themselves or pen and paper elegantly, efficiently,
and easily.

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Works Cited
Alonso, Mara A. Prez. Metacognition and Sensorimotor Components Underlying the Process
of Handwriting and Keyboarding and Their Impact on Learning. An Analysis from the
Perspective of Embodied Psychology. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 176
(2015): 263-69. Web.
Mueller, Pam A, and Daniel M Oppenheimer. The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard.
Psychological Science 25.6: 1159-168. Web.
Kysilko, David. "The Handwriting Debate." nasbe.org. National Association of State Boards of
Education, 1 Sept. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Bjork, Elizabeth Ligon, and Bjork, Robert A. Memory. San Diego: Academic, 1996. Handbook
of Perception and Cognition (2nd Ed.). Web.
Risinger, D. M. "INNOCENTS CONVICTED: AN EMPIRICALLY JUSTIFIED FACTUAL
WRONGFUL CONVICTION RATE." Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology 97.3
(2007): 761-806. ProQuest. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
Tversky, Barbara and Fisher, George, ed. The Problem with Eyewitness Testimony. Presentation
given on April 5 1999 at Stanford Law School. Stanford Journal of Legal Studies,
accessed 13 November 2015. Web.
Willis, Judy. "The Brain-Based Benefits of Writing for Math and Science Learning." Edutopia.
The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 11 July 2011. Accessed 21 Nov. 2015. Web.

Bishop Article