Read through these instructions fully before beginning. They're not too painful, we promise.
When the experiment starts, you will be shown a blank white rectangle with a red dot in the center. Watch the red dot. It won't do anything interesting, but it's important that you keep your eyes centered on the dot. You will first be instructed to click the mouse to continue. Next, the words "LEFT HAND" or "RIGHT HAND" will appear; place the appropriate hand on the keyboard. Rest the other on your lap or someplace where you can't accidentally use it to type. You may occasionally be directed to change hands.
After it tells you which hand to use, some text will periodically flash briefly on your screen. Sometimes it will be an actual English word (we won't use anything too uncommon, don't worry); other times it will be random garbage like "tqiafdn". Your job is to tell them apart. When you see an English word, press the space bar; when you see gibberish, press any letter key. Try to do this as quickly as possible; don't worry about making mistakes. Remember to use only the hand you are directed to use.
After a few minutes of this, the rectangle will be replaced with a small survey form to fill out. If you elect, you can include your e-mail address and we'll send you a copy of our results (including the motivation behind it all).
Thanks again for your participation! When you're ready, click the button below to begin the experiment.
Remember: