OK. Today marked a big step forward in my plan to test Jerry's DDR.

I met up with a woman I know whose sister runs a cat shelter, and we
went there. Sure enough, there were some stressed-out cats there,
including a poor little feral kitten bouncing around in a live trap,
beside himself with fear. There were also many friendly cats there,
and the ugliest cat I have ever seen with a malformed face and one eye
-- but very friendly. So, I volunteered to contribute some free labor
in exchange for the DDR test on some animals I will choose once I know
my way around.

Holly accompanied me to the cat shelter and handled herself with great
poise despite the presence of kitties everywhere. I was so proud of
my Wits End Dog!.

Tonight I went to Radio Shack and picked up a nanny-cam, like the ones
used to capture videoclips of masturbating babysitters for my favorite
porn group, alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.voyeurism.hidden-camera. I
don't need a one-way mirror for my purpose, and I know Radio Shack
doesn't carry them, but I enjoyed asking the clerk anyway.

My experiment design is as follows:

1. I will observe cats under the natural stress conditions of the
shelter and identify specific behaviors indicating stress. Repetitive
mewing and clawing at the cage are the two that come to mind, but I
haven't started observing yet.

2. I will put the DDR in the cage with some cats who appear uneasy in
captivity and leave it off, and tape a 4-8 hour segment. I won't be
there physically, which is why I bought the nannycam.

3. I will turn the DDR on, and operate it according to instructions,
and will attempt to videotape as much of the first 24-48 hours as
possible.

4. I will analyze my tape data and attempt to quantify changes in
behavior by counting incidents of behavior that I have determined to
be my stress indicators.

I'm planning to use subjects who will be in the same area for a few
days and will not interact with them.

This is ultra-simple, because I don't know anything about doing
research. So, I'd appreciate comments from all you neuro-wizards out
there in scienceland.

Two things I do have in my corner:

1. Plenty of idle time on my hands.

2. A limitless supply of cheap, disposable test animals.

So, I think I'll do alright.

Charlie

Charlie Wilkes wrote:

My experiment design is as follows:

1. I will observe cats under the natural stress conditions of the
shelter and identify specific behaviors indicating stress. Repetitive
mewing and clawing at the cage are the two that come to mind, but I
haven't started observing yet.

2. I will put the DDR in the cage with some cats who appear uneasy in
captivity and leave it off, and tape a 4-8 hour segment. I won't be
there physically, which is why I bought the nannycam.

3. I will turn the DDR on, and operate it according to instructions,
and will attempt to videotape as much of the first 24-48 hours as
possible.

4. I will analyze my tape data and attempt to quantify changes in
behavior by counting incidents of behavior that I have determined to
be my stress indicators.

I'm planning to use subjects who will be in the same area for a few
days and will not interact with them.

This is ultra-simple, because I don't know anything about doing
research. So, I'd appreciate comments from all you neuro-wizards out
there in scienceland.


Charlie, a few changes would improve the study significantly.

1. You need some controls - cats in which you put the unit in the
cage, but never switch it on, but still record the 24-48 hours as
normal.

2. The study needs to be done blind. Have the woman at the shelter
select which cages will be control and which ones test (flip a coin
or use some other random method to choose from your pool of
pre-identified subjects). She should write this down but not reveal
it to you until the study is complete. You now score the tape data
without knowing the state of each animal as test or control. At the
end you put your data together with the information about what group
each cat was in.

Hope this helps.

best wishes

Richard Vickery

Charlie Wilkes wrote:

My experiment design is as follows:

1. I will observe cats under the natural stress conditions of the
shelter and identify specific behaviors indicating stress. Repetitive
mewing and clawing at the cage are the two that come to mind, but I
haven't started observing yet.

2. I will put the DDR in the cage with some cats who appear uneasy in
captivity and leave it off, and tape a 4-8 hour segment. I won't be
there physically, which is why I bought the nannycam.

3. I will turn the DDR on, and operate it according to instructions,
and will attempt to videotape as much of the first 24-48 hours as
possible.

4. I will analyze my tape data and attempt to quantify changes in
behavior by counting incidents of behavior that I have determined to
be my stress indicators.

I'm planning to use subjects who will be in the same area for a few
days and will not interact with them.

This is ultra-simple, because I don't know anything about doing
research. So, I'd appreciate comments from all you neuro-wizards out
there in scienceland.


Charlie, a few changes would improve the study significantly.

1. You need some controls - cats in which you put the unit in the
cage, but never switch it on, but still record the 24-48 hours as
normal.

2. The study needs to be done blind. Have the woman at the shelter
select which cages will be control and which ones test (flip a coin
or use some other random method to choose from your pool of
pre-identified subjects). She should write this down but not reveal
it to you until the study is complete. You now score the tape data
without knowing the state of each animal as test or control. At the
end you put your data together with the information about what group
each cat was in.

Hope this helps.

best wishes

Richard Vickery

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 00:26:17 +1000, Richard Vickery
wrote:

Charlie Wilkes wrote:

My experiment design is as follows:

1. I will observe cats under the natural stress conditions of the
shelter and identify specific behaviors indicating stress. Repetitive
mewing and clawing at the cage are the two that come to mind, but I
haven't started observing yet.

2. I will put the DDR in the cage with some cats who appear uneasy in
captivity and leave it off, and tape a 4-8 hour segment. I won't be
there physically, which is why I bought the nannycam.

3. I will turn the DDR on, and operate it according to instructions,
and will attempt to videotape as much of the first 24-48 hours as
possible.

4. I will analyze my tape data and attempt to quantify changes in
behavior by counting incidents of behavior that I have determined to
be my stress indicators.

I'm planning to use subjects who will be in the same area for a few
days and will not interact with them.

This is ultra-simple, because I don't know anything about doing
research. So, I'd appreciate comments from all you neuro-wizards out
there in scienceland.


Charlie, a few changes would improve the study significantly.

1. You need some controls - cats in which you put the unit in the
cage, but never switch it on, but still record the 24-48 hours as
normal.

2. The study needs to be done blind. Have the woman at the shelter
select which cages will be control and which ones test (flip a coin
or use some other random method to choose from your pool of
pre-identified subjects). She should write this down but not reveal
it to you until the study is complete. You now score the tape data
without knowing the state of each animal as test or control. At the
end you put your data together with the information about what group
each cat was in.

Hope this helps.

best wishes

Richard Vickery

Yes. This helps immensely. This is exactly the kind of direct,
succinct guidance that is easiest for me to follow. Tomorrow I return
to the shelter, but I think I will confine my activities to some basic
obsevation and practical installation issues as well as getting to
know the people. There are quite a few of them -- a bunch of
cat-ladies with personalities I don't want to get to know, but must
for the sake of my experiment.

Thanks so much for your help!

Charlie

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 00:26:17 +1000, Richard Vickery
wrote:

Charlie Wilkes wrote:

My experiment design is as follows:

1. I will observe cats under the natural stress conditions of the
shelter and identify specific behaviors indicating stress. Repetitive
mewing and clawing at the cage are the two that come to mind, but I
haven't started observing yet.

2. I will put the DDR in the cage with some cats who appear uneasy in
captivity and leave it off, and tape a 4-8 hour segment. I won't be
there physically, which is why I bought the nannycam.

3. I will turn the DDR on, and operate it according to instructions,
and will attempt to videotape as much of the first 24-48 hours as
possible.

4. I will analyze my tape data and attempt to quantify changes in
behavior by counting incidents of behavior that I have determined to
be my stress indicators.

I'm planning to use subjects who will be in the same area for a few
days and will not interact with them.

This is ultra-simple, because I don't know anything about doing
research. So, I'd appreciate comments from all you neuro-wizards out
there in scienceland.


Charlie, a few changes would improve the study significantly.

1. You need some controls - cats in which you put the unit in the
cage, but never switch it on, but still record the 24-48 hours as
normal.

2. The study needs to be done blind. Have the woman at the shelter
select which cages will be control and which ones test (flip a coin
or use some other random method to choose from your pool of
pre-identified subjects). She should write this down but not reveal
it to you until the study is complete. You now score the tape data
without knowing the state of each animal as test or control. At the
end you put your data together with the information about what group
each cat was in.

Hope this helps.

best wishes

Richard Vickery

Yes. This helps immensely. This is exactly the kind of direct,
succinct guidance that is easiest for me to follow. Tomorrow I return
to the shelter, but I think I will confine my activities to some basic
obsevation and practical installation issues as well as getting to
know the people. There are quite a few of them -- a bunch of
cat-ladies with personalities I don't want to get to know, but must
for the sake of my experiment.

Thanks so much for your help!

Charlie

On 14 Aug 2003, Charlie Wilkes opined:

Whatever I do, I'll put detailed results on the Internet for all to
see. Jerry Howe is selling this machine. He has a controversial
personality that warps most discussion about him and his product. I
want to get past that bullshit.


Sure you do.
Sorry, Charlie. You fall in the biased category.
Chad

--
Looking for a pet? Adopt one! ** http://www.petfinder.com
Info for a healthy, happy dog? * http://www.dog-play.com


In cases of defense ‘tis best to weigh The enemy
more mighty than he seems. -- Wm. Shakespeare

On 14 Aug 2003, Charlie Wilkes opined:

Whatever I do, I'll put detailed results on the Internet for all to
see. Jerry Howe is selling this machine. He has a controversial
personality that warps most discussion about him and his product. I
want to get past that bullshit.


Sure you do.
Sorry, Charlie. You fall in the biased category.
Chad

--
Looking for a pet? Adopt one! ** http://www.petfinder.com
Info for a healthy, happy dog? * http://www.dog-play.com


In cases of defense ‘tis best to weigh The enemy
more mighty than he seems. -- Wm. Shakespeare

On 15 Aug 2003 11:43:54 GMT, Dimpled Chad
wrote:

On 14 Aug 2003, Charlie Wilkes opined:

Whatever I do, I'll put detailed results on the Internet for all to
see. Jerry Howe is selling this machine. He has a controversial
personality that warps most discussion about him and his product. I
want to get past that bullshit.


Sure you do.
Sorry, Charlie. You fall in the biased category.
Chad

Well, Chad, I will publish my protocols and results so that you or
anyone else can assess my work and decide whether it was affected by
my supposed bias. Let's postpone this discussion until then, ok?

Charlie

On 15 Aug 2003 11:43:54 GMT, Dimpled Chad
wrote:

On 14 Aug 2003, Charlie Wilkes opined:

Whatever I do, I'll put detailed results on the Internet for all to
see. Jerry Howe is selling this machine. He has a controversial
personality that warps most discussion about him and his product. I
want to get past that bullshit.


Sure you do.
Sorry, Charlie. You fall in the biased category.
Chad

Well, Chad, I will publish my protocols and results so that you or
anyone else can assess my work and decide whether it was affected by
my supposed bias. Let's postpone this discussion until then, ok?

Charlie

On 15 Aug 2003, Charlie Wilkes opined:

On 15 Aug 2003 11:43:54 GMT, Dimpled Chad
wrote:

On 14 Aug 2003, Charlie Wilkes opined:

Whatever I do, I'll put detailed results on the Internet for all to
see. Jerry Howe is selling this machine. He has a controversial
personality that warps most discussion about him and his product. I
want to get past that bullshit.


Sure you do.
Sorry, Charlie. You fall in the biased category.
Chad

Well, Chad, I will publish my protocols and results so that you or
anyone else can assess my work and decide whether it was affected by
my supposed bias. Let's postpone this discussion until then, ok?

You can publish whatever you want. At this point I'm not even able to trust
that you are going to *do* anything....

Chad

--
Looking for a pet? Adopt one! ** http://www.petfinder.com
Info for a healthy, happy dog? * http://www.dog-play.com


In cases of defense ‘tis best to weigh The enemy
more mighty than he seems. -- Wm. Shakespeare