A Novel Method for the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior

A Novel Method for the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior A novel data analysis method was developed and conducted on data collected in an earlier behavioral experiment. The data were re-analyzed in the present study by compiling the data into paired serial rank order (PSRO). Thus, in the first session, a pair of animals, a control animal and a experimental animal, were selected because both had the lowest number of errors in their group for that session. Then, the next pair of animals with the second best performance were compared, then the third best pair were compared, etc. PSRO analysis was conducted for every one of 12 training sessions. Individual animals in the experimental group almost always performed worse when compared to a PSRO control animal, even though the rank order of individual animals often changed. The resulting PSRO graphs show much clearer differences visually than group averaged data that are typically analyzed