Bimanual interference with compatible and incompatible tool transformations

The present study investigates bimanual interference in a tool-use task, in which two target locations had to be touched concurrently with two tools, one for each hand. Target locations were either in the same, or in different directions for the two hands. Furthermore, the tools implemented either a compatible or an incompatible relationship between the direction of target locations and the direction of associated bodily movements. Results indicated bimanual interference when the tools had to be moved to targets in different directions. Furthermore, this interference was much more pronounced when the tools required body movements that were spatially incompatible to the cued target locations as compared to when they were compatible. These results show that incompatible relationships between target directions and bodily movement directions can aggravate bimanual interference in tool use.