Knowledge Base

Variables (Continued)

the zone with the novel object for 30 seconds. After the activation of the condition, the animal spends the first 5 seconds in the zone with the novel object, then 10 seconds in the zone with the familiar object and 45 seconds in the zone with the novel object, the track is stopped 40 seconds after the activation of the condition (indicated by A).

Current Duration. To base your condition on the time the animal has been in the zone without interruption up to the current time.

If in the example above, the condition had been defined as: stop tracking when the current duration in the zone is 30 seconds, the track would have been stopped 45 seconds after the activation of the condition.

More About Conditions Based on Dependent Variables

Latency to First — See page 80 and Figure 24 on page 80.

Distance to Zone

In the Condition window, click the Settings button. Under To the following zones, select the zones of your choice. Select Include if in zone if you want to calculate the distance to the border of a zone, regardless of whether the subject is outside or inside the zone. Under From the following body points, select the body point of the animal you want to use to calculate the distance.

Frequently-Used Statistics

• Current (default). To base your condition on the current distance of the animal's body point to a zone.

  Example: Switch on a light when the current distance from the entrance of the shelter is less than 5 cm.

• Total. This depends on the sample rate. Choose Mean instead.
• Mean. To base your condition on the average distance of the animal's body point to a zone measured since the activation of the condition.

  Example: Stop the track when the average distance from the zone with the novel object is smaller than or equal to 10 cm.

Distance to Point

In the Condition window, click the Settings button. Under To the following points, select the points or center of zones of your choice. If you select two or more points, the condition is based on the shorter distance between those points and the animal's body point. Under From the following body points, select the body point of the animal you want to use to calculate the distance.

Frequently-Used Statistics

• Current (default). To base your condition on the current distance of the subject from the point.
• Total. This has little physical significance. Furthermore, its value depends on the sample rate (the higher the sample rate, the greater the cumulative distance). Choose Mean instead.
• Mean. To base your condition on the mean distance from the point since the activation of the condition.

Meander

In the Condition window, click the Settings button. In the Meander tab, select whether you want the condition to be based on the Absolute (unsigned) or Relative (signed) meander. Select Head direction meander when you want to base your condition on the angles formed by the Head direction line, not the body points (these will be ignored). In the Body points tab, select the body point on which you want to base the definition of meander.

Frequently-Used Statistics

• Current (default). To base your condition on the current meander value.
• Total. To base the condition on the value of Meander cumulated since the activation of the condition.
• Mean. To base your condition on the mean value since the activation of the condition.

Target Visits and Errors

Use Target visits and errors to control the trial based on the visits to target zones and errors (visits to non-target zones or target zone revisits).

In the Condition window, click the Settings button. In the Target visits and errors tab, select the zones that are targets and non-target. Under Condition based on, select which variable you want to use.

Frequently-Used Statistics

• Frequency (default). To base your condition on the occurrence/number of successes and errors since the activation of the condition.

  Example: Take an action as soon as the animal has made three errors entering three different non-target zones. From the Statistics list, select Frequency ≥. Click Settings, select the non-target zones and then under Condition based on, select Non-target first visits.

Note — When using first visits (target or non-target) in the condition, make sure that you enter a frequency less or equal to the total number of corresponding zones selected under Settings. For example, if you select Condition based on Target first visits and Frequency ≥, make sure that you select at least three target zones under Settings.

• Latency to First. See page 80 and Figure 24 on page 80.

Zone Alternation

Use Zone alternation to create a condition based on alternation between specific zones. For example: stop tracking when the animal makes the ten alternations (A > B > C).

In the Condition window, click the Settings button. In the Zone Alternation tab, select the zones of the alternation (for example A, B, C). Under Condition based on, select which variable you want to use. Select whether you want to consider only direct transitions. In the Body points tab, select which body points define the transition from one zone to the other.

Frequently-Used Statistics

• Frequency (default). To base your condition on the occurrence/number of alternations or direct/indirect revisits in zones since the activation of the condition.

  Example: Take an action as soon as the animal has completed the tenth alternation. Click Settings, select the zones and then under Condition based on, select Alternations. From the Statistics list, select Frequency ≥.

• Latency to First. See page 80 and Figure 24 on page 80.

Zone Transition

In the Condition window, click the Settings button. In the Zone Transition tab, click Add to define the zone sequence (for example A > B > C). Select whether you want to consider only direct transitions. Enter a Zone exit threshold to avoid that small movement of the body points across zone borders result in unrealistic scores of zone transitions. Such movements are usually caused by body-point jitter, or the behavior of the subject (stretching, curling etc.).

In the Body points tab, select the body point that moves from one zone to the other.

Frequently-Used Statistics

• Frequency (default). To base your condition on the occurrence/number of transitions between zones since the activation of the condition.

  Example: Take an action as soon as the animal has gone from the Middle zone to the Left zone.

Source: EthoVision XT 18 - THC - Trial and Hardware Control, Noldus Information Technology