2.3.2. Results

Comparison of first and sixth trial shows a significant reduction in response time: t(8) 2.962, *p* = 0.18 (with mean times reducing from 7.6 (±3.3)s on trial one to 3.6 (±2.9) s on trial six). All but 1 of the participants consistently picked up the jug with the hand to which the handle was pointing. This suggests that, for the majority of participants, handle orientation was a reliable cue as to which hand to use. Most participants found it more comfortable to use the aligned hand, and felt that the jug "asked" them to use the aligned hand, even when they might have preferred to use their dominant hand. This suggests that there is a powerful cue of the alignment of the handle. People had to be prompted at the end of the experiment to mention which hand they were picking up the jug. Some participants were using their aligned hand without being aware, as this was something they had thought about. Some said they used their dominant hand, but then they realised the alignment of the

handle. One participant mentioned that they used their non-dominant hand one or twice, whereas they had used their non-dominant hand half of the time.
