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Behavioural Research News

 
www.tracksys.co.uk 0115 922 4539
March 2010
 
 

Tracksys Behavioural News 6

This issue features the launch of our new consultancy service - helping you to get the most from your research.  To mark the release of the latest eyetracking display and analysis software we are also offering eyetracking workshops

In this issue:
 

Product Update

BeGaze 2.4 released

New features include;

  • Gaze replay for retrospective think aloud
  • Questionnaires
  • New focus and heat maps
  • Gridded areas of interest
  • Enhanced statistics
  • External video package (ideal for TV gaming projects)

 

New developments in Neuroscience

New features in EthoVision;

  • Manual Event Recorder: a built-in coding system to manually score behaviours that can be analysed alongside the tracking data.
  • Performance Improvements: running experiments faster and handling difficult analysis better.
  •  Improved User Interface
  • Heat Map Generator: this is an external utility which allows you to visualise EthoVision XT track files as a density plot over time. This can be downloaded from the Noldus website for FREE!

New features for Phenotyper;

  • Noldus Pellet Dispenser: releases 20mg food pellets upon demand and provides feedback when the pellet is dropped.
  • Noldus Lickometer: measures drinking behaviour and accurately detects anycontact made between the animal and the spout of a water bottle.
  • Currently developing the Phenotyper Fear Conditioning Cage which will include a shock grid floor.

User Stories

New Lab in Loughborough

Essentially the new CCTV facilities in the department of Social Sciences are used for capture high quality video/audio data via a dedicated PC for processing with Audition software. Examples of use include, focus groups interviews, project work and practical exercises that require analysis of some aspect of social behaviour (non-verbal communication, body language, attitudes, values, etc).

There are two observational rooms that function for the participants and one central control room where all visual/audio is captured, edited, mixed and digitized on a PC.

Peter Beaman, Senior Social Psychology Technician.

News

Tracksys consultancy launched

Announcing our new service. Working with you we can;

  • Design your project or help improve an existing proposal.
  • Collect the data you need e.g. measuring specific behaviours, eyetracking, emotion measurement etc.
  • Analyse the data.
  • Produce a report with strong visual summaries, statistics and conclusions

Contact us for more details or to discuss your project

Measuring Behaviour 2010 - the hard way

Most of the Tracksys staff, and many of our customers, go to the Measuring Behavior conferences and this year will be no exception. We toyed with the idea of cycling to MB 2008 – but when we realised Maastricht was about 150 miles from the Hook of Holland, we decided maybe flights and Eurostar were better options. However, last month (yes – you guessed it, well into our Christmas party!!) Richard Lilley, Andy Shaw & Bill Budenberg committed to cycle to this years conference.

Our plan is to meet in Cambridge (where Bill lives) in the early afternoon of Aug 23rd, and then to cycle to Harwich for the overnight ferry, and then cycle on to Eindhoven for the start of the conference. Cambridge to Harwich is about 60 miles, and Hook of Holland to Eindhoven is about 90 miles. We realise this might not be your cup of tea, but if any of you would like to join us at Cambridge or Harwich we’d love it! Alternatively we’ll just see you there …….

Eyetracking Workshops

Following the success of our Workshops for The Observer, we are also offering eyetracking workshops to existing and potential users. The workshops will include;

  • Making the most of remote and mobile eyetrackers
  • Project design
  • Analysis (heat maps, scan paths and statistics).
  • Integration with other behavioural measures such as physiological or behavioural data

The first workshop will be on the 24th June but if you need one sooner please contact us

www.tracksys.co.uk 0115 922 4539 info@tracksys.co.uk