Signature size and status
Studies going back to the 1970s reported that signature size was associated with perceived or actual status, and that a person's signature might grow as their status improved. Later work has linked it to measures of self-esteem and dominance. These correlations are typically modest and depend on samples and measures.
Signing as a prime
Consumer researchers Keri Kettle and Gerald Haubl reported that writing one's signature, compared with printing a name, changed how people behaved toward products in a domain they cared about. They proposed that signing briefly makes a person's identity more salient, which then shapes their choices.
A cautionary example
A related line of work claimed that signing an honesty statement at the top of a form reduced cheating. That 2012 paper was retracted in 2021 after serious problems were found in its data. Signature effects are interesting, but small and unusual findings in this area deserve careful treatment until they are independently repeated.
Further reading
- Zweigenhaft, R. L., & Marlowe, D. (1973). Signature size: Studies in expressive movement. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 40, 469-473.
- Kettle, K. L., & Haubl, G. (2011). The signature effect: Signing influences consumption-related behavior by priming self-identity. Journal of Consumer Research, 38, 474-489.