CLUSTAN

This page contains links to a downloadable program and associated userguide for the analysis of temporal patterns in animal behaviour.

The program is based on the theory that random patterns of behavioural events will generate a negative exponential distribution of inter-event intervals (the times between successive events).

However, this analysis is complicated by the assumption that the underlying rate generating the events must be constant over time. Normally, however, this rate is not constant in many natural situations but follows a normal or at least peaked distribution - where early and late in the time series the behaviour is only rarely observed but the probability of observing the behaviour reaches a peak between these two limits. As shown previously (Speakman et al 1992) this type of change in the underlying rate of event generation can lead to a spurious indication that the behaviour is non-random.

The program allows straightforward analyses of event data and also utilises a trimming function to perform analyses when it is known or suspected that the underlying rate of event generation is not constant but 'normally' distributed (conformation to an actual normal distribution is not necessary).

The program runs in GW-BASIC a copy of which is also available for download. Downloaded files should be placed into a folder called CLUSTER on the c: drive of your computer. The program will look for the associated data files in this directory. The run procedures are detailed in the attached word file. Briefly one needs to exit windows to MS-DOS, launch basic in DOS by typing (c:\cluster\BASICA at the c: prompt) and then load the program from inside basic at the OK prompt by typing (load "clustan9.bas").Typing run then starts the program.

A second program is also available that allows one to log behavioural events -either in real time from a lap-top or from recorded media that savesthe data in a format directly importable into CLUSTAN. This second program is called 'timer'

Download now

PROGRAM (executable program CLUSTAN9.bas 13.7 kB)

USERGUIDE ( word document 36.5 kB)

Associated file (significance levels for Chi2 and G test)

Example file 1 (test) test data in txt format 1.44 kB

Example file 2 (counts2) data file in txt format 3.39 kB

Timer program (executable program TIMER.bas 0.8 kB)

GW-BASIC (executable file 77.8 kB)

Back to home page