Kinesthetic sympathy is the state of having an emotional attachment to an object when it is in hand which one does not have when it is out of sight.
NSGCD Study
In 2003, a study was conducted by the National Study Group On Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD), the purpose of which was to collect data on the effectiveness of using special techniques with clients to avoid kinesthetic sympathy. Organizers working with chronically disorganized clients at their desks were asked to use the kinesthetic sympathy avoidance process by asking their respective clients to hold a mug, drinking glass, or plastic or metal tumbler as a distracting device while working together. The survey was meant to see if, by holding a solid "distraction" item, the client would exhibit less noticeable kinetic sympathy and, therefore, have a more successful paper processing session. The survey achieved mixed results.