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ANY-maze Help > The ANY-maze reference > The Protocol page > The elements of a protocol > Behaviour > Keys > Key measures
Key measures
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ANY-maze will score the following measures for a key:
Each measure is available for the apparatus as a whole (i.e. irrespective of where the behaviour occurred) and also for each defined zone. For example, if a protocol includes two zones called 'Left' and 'Right' and two keys have been defined, one for 'Grooming' and one for 'Rearing' then the following sets of measures will be available:
| | • | All the measures listed above for grooming anywhere in the apparatus | |
| | • | All the measures listed above for rearing anywhere in the apparatus | |
| | • | All the measures listed above for grooming in the left zone | |
| | • | All the measures listed above for rearing in the left zone | |
| | • | All the measures listed above for grooming in the right zone | |
| | • | All the measures listed above for rearing in the right zone | |
Number of presses
| Description | Reports the number of times the key was pressed down, i.e. the number of times the animal started to exhibit the key's behaviour. |
| Calculation method | Counts the number of key presses. |
| Analysis in zones | Counts the number of times the key was pressed when the animal was in the zone (or for an investigation zone, while the animal was investigating the zone). |
| Analysis across time | This measure can be analysed across time. For any time period, the result is the number of times the key was pressed down during the time period. |
Time pressed
| Description | Reports the total amount of time the key was pressed down, i.e. the total amount of time that the animal was exhibiting the key's behaviour. |
| Calculation method | Sums the amount of time for which the key was pressed. |
| Analysis in zones | Sums the amount of time for which the key was pressed in the zone (or for an investigation zone, while the animal was investigating the zone). |
For a particular zone, it's possible for the Time pressed to be non-zero while the Number of presses is zero. This can occur if the animal enters the zone when the key is pressed. In this case, the time the key is pressed will be registered but the key press itself won't be.
| Analysis across time | This measure can be analysed across time. For any time period, the result is the amount of time that the key was pressed during the period. |
For a particular time period, it's possible for the Time pressed during the period to be non-zero while the Number of presses for the period is zero. This can occur if the key is already pressed at the start of the period. In this case, the time the key is pressed will be registered but the key press itself won't be.
Latency to first press
| Description | Reports the amount of time that elapsed in the test before the key was pressed for the first time, i.e. the amount of time that elapsed before the key's behaviour started for the first time. |
| Calculation method | The value of the test clock at the first key press. |
| Analysis in zones | The value of the test clock at the first key press that occurred within the zone (or for an investigation zone, while the animal was investigating the zone). |
| Analysis across time | This measure cannot be analysed across time. |
Latency to first release
| Description | Reports the amount of time that elapsed in the test before the key was released for the first time, i.e. the amount of time that elapsed before the key's behaviour ended for the first time. |
| Calculation method | The value of the test clock at the first key release. |
| Analysis in zones | The value of the test clock at the first key release that occurred within the zone (or for an investigation zone, while the animal was investigating the zone). |
| Analysis across time | This measure cannot be analysed across time. |
Distance travelled before 1st press
| Description | Reports the distance the animal had travelled in the apparatus up to the moment the key was first pressed. |
| Calculation method | The accumulated total distance travelled is noted at the time of the first key press. |
| Analysis in zones | The measure cannot be analysed in zones. |
| Analysis across time | This measure cannot be analysed across time. |
Longest press
| Description | Reports the duration of the longest period for which the key was continuously pressed down, i.e. the longest period for which the animal continuously exhibited the key's behaviour. |
| Calculation method | The duration of each key press is calculated and the largest value is found. |
| Analysis in zones | The longest period for which the key was continuously pressed in the zone (or for an investigation zone, while the animal was investigating the zone). |
| Analysis across time | This measure can be analysed across time. For any time period, the result is the longest period for which the key was continuously pressed during the period. |
Shortest press
| Description | Reports the duration of the shortest period for which the key was continuously pressed down, i.e. the shortest period for which the animal continuously exhibited the key's behaviour. |
| Calculation method | The duration of each key press is calculated and the smallest value is found. |
| Analysis in zones | The shortest period for which the key was continuously pressed in the zone (or for an investigation zone, while the animal was investigating the zone). |
| Analysis across time | This measure can be analysed across time. For any time period, the result is the shortest period for which the key was continuously pressed during the period. |
Average press duration
| Description | Reports the average duration for which the key was held down, i.e. the average duration of the episodes of the key's behaviour. |
| Analysis in zones | This measure cannot be analysed in zones. |
| Analysis across time | This measure cannot be analysed across time. |
Press frequency
| Description | Reports the frequency with which the key was pressed, i.e. the frequency with which the animal exhibited the key's behaviour. |
| Analysis in zones | Calculated by dividing the Number of presses in the zone by the Total time in the zone. For an investigation zone, this will be the number of presses while the animal was investigating the zone divided by the total time investigating the zone. |
| Analysis across time | This measure can be analysed across time. For any time period, the result is the Number of presses which occurred during the period divided by the period's duration. |
List of activation durations
| Description | Reports a comma-separated list of the duration of each activation of the key. For example, if key was activated three times, for 10s on the first occasion and for 20s on the second and third, then the list would show '10.0, 20.0, 20.0'. |
| Calculation method | The duration of each activation is calculated and added to the list. If the key is active at the end of the test, then the last duration in the list will be from the time the key was activated to the time of the test end. |
| Analysis in zones | The measure cannot be analysed in zones. |
| Analysis across time | This measure cannot be analysed across time. |
| Units | All the durations in the list are reported in seconds. |
| Notes | When included on the Data page, this measure will show all the activation durations in a single cell. If the spreadsheet is saved in CSV format and then opened in (for example) Microsoft Excel, then the durations will be listed in individual cells. |
The length of the list is limited to 8192 characters, but usually at last 1,000 activations will be listed before the limit is reached.
See also:
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ANY-maze help topic T0372
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