Na _ Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : COE eBiebesr 0018049 Final Report December 1984 TRACK | TRAINING R&D (U) By: HAROLD E. PUTHOFF MARTHA J. THOMSON Prepared for: DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301 Attention: po SG1J CONTRACT DAMD17-83-C-3106 SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAM FOR GRILL FLAME. RESTRICT DISSEMINATION TO ONLY INDIVIDUALS WITH VERIFIED ACCESS. NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS 333 Ravenswood Avenue Menlo Park, California 94025 U.S.A. (415) 326-6200 Cable: SRI INTL MPK TWX: 910-373-2046 oved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA- 8R001800240001-7 a a a Wi Me AN. International / OE 89/957 4 Ree >, LE A)
International NACL SL KA ela LOD) Final Report December 1984 Covering the Period October 1983 to October 1984 TRACK | TRAINING R&D (U) By: HAROLD £, PUTHOFF MARTHA J. THOMSON Prepared for: DEFENSE GAL Soar AGENCY Contract No. DAMD17-83-C-3106 WASHINGTON? DX. 20301 Attention: SRI Project 7408-7 SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAM FOR GRILL FLAME. RESTRICT DISSEMINATION TO ONLY INDIVIDUALS WITH VERIFIED ACCESS. Approved by: ROBERT S, LEONARD, Djrector Copy No. a. Radio Physics Laboratory i ; This document consists of 33 pages. DAVID D. ELLIOTT, Vice President Research and Analysis Division SRI/GF-0270 CLASSIFIED BY: DT-5A NOT RELEASABLE TO REVIEW ON: 31 December 2004 FOREIGN NATIONALS SECREF 333 Ravenswood Avenue * Menlo Park, California 94025 ° U.S.A. (415) 326-6200 * Cable: SRI INTL MPK * TWX: 910-373-2046 roved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Release CLASSIFIED. eR" 800240001-7 CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS . 2.6 6 6 6 8 ee ee we ee iv II INTRODUCTION .... 2. 2 2 6 ee eo ee ee ee ee eee 2 A. General. 2. 2 1. ce we ee we eee we ee ee ee 2 B. Description of Procedure . , . . . . . ee ee eee ee ee 2 1. Stage I (Major Gestalt) 2. 2... wwe we ee ee eh 5 2. Stage If (Sensory Contact) . 2... 2 ww ee ee ee eee 5 3. Stage III (Dimension, Motion, and Mobility). 2... 2... 2. 6 4. Stage IV (General Qualitative Analytical Aspects) . . . 2... 6 III METHOD OF APPROACH . . . 1. 1 6 ee ee ee te ee ee 8 A. General Design . . 1 1 1 ww ee ee ee ee ee 8 B. ‘Target Site Preparation wee ee ew te ke ee ee 8 C. Session Protocol . we we ew we we ee ke ee ee ee 8 D. Baseline Data, , 2... 1 1 ewe ee ee ee ee ee 9 F. Data Collection te ew ww kk ew we ee ee ee ee ee ek 9 G. Data Evaluation... ww ee ee te te es 9 IV RESULTS . 2 LL ww ew ee ee ee ee ee ee es 12 A. RV Session Records . . 6. 2. 6 © © «© «© © © © © # we we ew we 12 B. RVer Performance . 2... 1 6 ee eee ee ee 13 1. Figure-of-Merit (FM) Plots a 13 2. Results, . 2. 0. 6 6 we ee ee ee ee te 15 V SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ee ee ee ek wt we et wt ee 16 A. Summary of Purpose and Approach . . . . 2 2 2 ee ee we ee 16 B. Observations and Conclusions. . 2... 6. 1 1 ee ew ee we ee 17 C. Recommendations for Follow-On Efforts . ., ., .. 1... 1 ee ee 18 UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Releass Netassitiep er" 800240001-7 APPENDICES A DESCRIPTOR LIST. . 2. 2 2 2 ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee 19 B LIST OF TARGET SITES . . © 2 ee ee ee ew we ee ee eee 22 C CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF RVer SESSIONS .....- 2. ss 26 — tii - UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Release NCLTASS - 96-00788R001800240001-7 ONCLASSIFIED ILLUSTRATIONS 1 Schematic Representation of Remote Viewer Response to RV Situation .- - - - 3 2 Idealized Performance—Over-Time Curve. . 2. 2 6 © 6+ © © = © © © ew we 4 3 RV Training Performance. . . . 6. ee ee ee ee ee eee ee 14 TABLES 1 Stages in Remote Viewing, . . . . ... ee ee ee ee te 5 2 Training Results, |), . Le ee es 15 UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7 II INTRODUCTION (VU) A. (U) General (U) As part of an overall training R&D Task, SRI International has investigated a number of potential training procedures. One of these, which is the focus of this particular study, involves multistage, coordinate remote viewing. In this procedure,* coordinates (latitude and longitude in degrees, minutes, and seconds) are utilized as the targeting method, which is structured to proceed through a series of well-defined stages in a particular order——hypothesized to correspond to stages of increased contact with the target site. (S/NF) In this study, the basic hypotheses of the procedure were investigated under strict double-blind testing conditions in order to document whether, and to what degree, the hypothesized training approach provided a viable vehicle for RV technology transfer. The DIA COTR in residence selected three individuals from the staff of the SRI Radio Physics Laboratory. He tested them for baseline RV performance levels over an initial series of five sessions each, and then turned them over to the SRI Psychoenergetics Program staff to be exposed to the theory and application of the procedure in question. B. (U) Description of Procedure (U) We begin with the basic premise of the training procedure under study: the major problem with naive attempts to remote view is that the attempt to visualize a remote site tends to stimulate memory and imagination—usually in visual-image forms. As the RVer becomes aware of the first few data bits, there appears to be a largely spontaneous and undisciplined rational effort to extrapolate and “fill in the blanks.” This is presumably driven by a need to resolve the ambiguity associated with the fragmentary nature of the *(U) Modeled after a procedure developed in an earlier program in conjunction with SRI Consultant Ingo Swann. -2- SECRET Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Release spe PERS CHER E Lye 00788R00 1800240001 -7 (U) emerging perception. The result is a premature internal analysis and interpretation on the part of the RVer, e.g., an impression of an island is immediately interpreted as Hawaii. This we call analytical overlay (AOL). (U) Our investigation of these overlay patterns suggests a model of RV functioning, which we have shown schematically in Figure 1. With the application of a “stimulus” (e.g., the reading of a coordinate), there appears to be a momentary burst of “signal” that enters into awareness (for a few seconds at most), and then fades away. The overlays appear to be triggered at this point to fill in the void. Success in handling this complex process requires that the RVer learn to “grab” incoming data bits while simultaneously attempting to identify the overlays as such. SIGNAL, NOISE of IGNAL got ee ereereseseccocone, ° e bd THRESHOLD es foe cee og he er eee ee owe oe eee foe ee coe mame oom ase oie eevee cee ce ees ce ee eee > wae ee OF AWARENESS “FILL-IN-THE-BLANKS” OVERLAYS STIMULUS STIMULUS UNCLASSIFIED FIGURE 1 (U) SCHEMATIC REPRESENTATION OF REMOTE VIEWER RESPONSE TO RV SITUATION (U) Observation of this process in the earlier development work suggests that the above behavior can be learned. Specifically, it appears that a RVer being trained in accordance with procedures developed in that program can be expected to exhibit a performance curve of the type shown in Figure 2. In brief, after being exposed to the basic concepts of the training procedure, the RVer typically exhibits a short period of spontaneous “first-time” effect of very—high—quality response (usually three or four sessions). This response cannot, however, be maintained; it is followed by a decline to a low level of performance——at which -3- UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Releagg NE PERS STATES 00788R001 800240001-7 (U) point substantive learning can begin. If learning is to take place, it will go forward from that point until saturation at some skill plateau is reached. SPONTANEOUS “FIRST-TIME’ EFFECTS DECLINE EFFECT ou) Sa LEARNING PHASE are oe SKILL PLATEAU ESTABLISHED = Fs we Se gO 28 A . ran) cw ce a UNCLASSIFIED TIME — FIGURE 2. (U) IDEALIZED PERFORMANCE-OVER-TIME CURVE (U) The RV training is structured to proceed through a series of stages that are hypothesized to correspond to stages of increased contact with the target site. These stages (described in more detail below) are tutored in a set order. Presentation of theory is followed by a series of practice sessions, taking a few weeks per stage; thus, the RVer moves up through the stages, concentrating on the elements to be mastered in each stage before proceeding to the next. In the early development work, it was also noted that an experienced remote viewer applying the techniques that are learned in this procedure tends to recapitulate the stages in this set order. The contents of the early stages (as evolved in the development work) are as shown in Table 1, and the techniques employed in the stages are described in the following paragraphs. -4- UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Releagg NEP RS STR E De 00788R0" 800240001-7 Table 1 (U) STAGES IN REMOTE VIEWING Major gestalt Land surrounded by water, an island Sensory contact Cold sensation, wind—-swept feeling Dimension, motion, mobility Rising up, panoramic view, island outline General qualitative analytical Scientific research, live aspects organisms UNCLASSIFIED 1. (U) Stage I (Major Gestalt) (U) In Stage I, the RVer is trained to provide a quick-reaction response to the reading of site coordinates by a monitor. The response takes the form of an immediate, primitive “squiggle” on the paper (called an ideogram), which captures an overall motion/feeling of the gestalt of the site (e.g., wavy/fluid for water). Note that this response is essentially kinesthetic, rather than visual. 2. (U) Stage II (Sensory Contact) (U) In Stage II, the RVers are trained to become sensitive to physical sensations associated with the site, i.e., sensations they might experience if they were physically there (heat, cold, wind, sounds, smells, tactile sensations, and the like). Again, this response is essentially nonvisual in nature (although color sensations may arise as a legitimate Stage II response). Of course, in both Stage I and Stage II, visual images may emerge spontaneously. In that case they are not suppressed, but simply noted and labeled as AOLs. -5- UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Release ROR bie feiesRDP96-00788R001 800240001-7 3. (U) Stage 111 (Dimension, Motion, and Mobility) (U) Whereas in Stage I and Stage II viewing, data appear to emerge (typically) as fragmented data bits, in Stage III, we observe the emergence of a broader concept of the site. With Stage I and II data forming a foundation, contact with the site appears sufficiently strengthened that the viewer begins to have an overall appreciation of the site as a whole (which we label “aesthetic impact”). Dimensional aspects such as size, distance, and motion begin to come into play, and emphasis is placed on generating configurational outlines and sketches (e.g., the outline of an island). 4, (U) Stage IV (General Qualitative Analytical Aspects) (U) Stages I through III are directed toward recognition of the overall gestalt and physical configuration of a target site; Stage IV is designed to provide information as to function, i.e., the purpose of the activities being carried out at the site. (S/NF) Because of the apparent increased contact with the site that occurs in Stage III (a “widening of the aperture,” as it were), data of an analytical nature begin to emerge. As observed in the earlier development work, contained in Stage IV data are elements that go beyond the strictly observational, such as ambience (military, religious, technical); cultural factors (nationality); and function or purpose (agriculture, research, weapons development). Thus, Stage IV viewing transcends simple physical description of what is visible to the eye, to take into account human intention. Because, from an operational point of view, it is the latter that is typically a matter of intelligence concern, Stage IV is considered to be the threshold for crossover into operational utility. (U) In Stages I through III, information is collected in the form of ideograms, their motion and feeling (S-I), sensations at the site (S-II), and sketches that result from expanded contact with the site (S-III). These various “carrier” signals are individual in nature, and special techniques have been developed to handle each in turn—more or less in serial fashion. In Stage IV (as designed in the earlier development work), the RVer is trained to accumulate data bits in no less than eight separate categories, in parallel, in addition to processing additional ideograms and sketches. These range from broad categories of sensations and dimensional references, through specific qualities (physical/technological detail, cultural ambience, and functional significance), and includes tracking of the analytical -6- —SECREE Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Release aQperqeA ec S VERE TIE 00788R001 800240001-7 (U) overlay line. To keep these separate signal lines on track requires exceptional control of session structure——an ability acquired in the lengthy S-I through S-III training period. With these elements under control, the Stage IV data—bit-acquisition procedures can then be used to build up an interpretation as to the site’s activities and functions. -7JT- UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For ReleasNCLASSIFIED 800240001-7 III METHOD OF APPROACH (VU) A. (U) General Design (U) The purpose of this study was to collect data on the RV procedure described in the previous section, in order to determine its viability as a training methodology. In the overall design of the study, emphasis is placed on adherence to strict double-blind protocols in the collection of the data, and on the use of objective analytical techniques in the evaluation of the data, so that documentation and authentication are as objective as possible. B. (U) Target Site Preparation (U) Because the RV training procedure involves targeting on sites around the world (given only the geographical coordinates of those sites), an important preparation step is the generation of target materials. An SRI analyst charged with this responsibility prepares the target materials, which consist of an index card with site coordinates (latitude and longitude in degrees, minutes, and seconds), and a folder with site information. (The latter provides feedback at session end; for the purpose of training and evaluation, sites are chosen for which feedback information in some form is available.) Site/feedback materials consist of more than 5000 map sites (U.S.G.S. Series E maps, G.N.I.S.; Army Map Agency maps; World Aeronautical Charts; atlases), and over 1500 National Geographic Magazine sites. These materials are continually updated. Cc. (U) Session Protocol (U) At the begining of the session, the monitor and RVer enter the RV session chamber. The monitor has in his possession targeting information (coordinates) written on an index card, but is kept blind to the target site, thus eliminating the possibility of cueing——overt or subliminal. The experiment is therefore of the double-blind type. The monitor’s role in the session is limited to: (1) seeing that the appropriate materials are available (pen, paper, audio tapes if the session is to be taped, and so forth); (2) reading the -8- UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Release mee 7 pig Re 96-00788ROOTBOO2AO00T (U) coordinates as a prompter for the RVer; and (3) making notes for later discussion. Following the session, the monitor obtains the target folder and provides feedback to the RVer, going over details of the session to provide further instruction if needed. D. (U) Baseline Data (S/NF) For the first step of the study, the DIA COTR-in-residence selected three individuals from the staff of the SRI Radio Physics Laboratory and designated them as trainees for this effort. As described in the Introduction section, he then tested them for baseline RV performance levels over a series of five sessions each. They were then turned over to the project staff for training. E. (U) Training (U) The training phase consists of a series of lectures by a training instructor/monitor, interspersed with double-blind RV sessions. In the lectures, the principles of a particular stage under consideration are thoroughly discussed. In addition, a number of practical exercises are carried out, such as drills in sketching, exercises in listing possible sensations one could experience at a site, and so forth. F. (U) Data Collection (U) Based on previous experience in the development phase of this particular training track, it was decided that it would be useful to collect at least 30 sessions with each of the trainees. In the study, two of the viewers did contribute 30 trials (#309 and #694), while a third (#558) contributed 43. The trials were collected over a four-month period at a rate that never exceeded five per day per RVer, and typically no more than two per day per RVer. For all RVers, the training level reached was the beginning to middle of Stage III. G. (U) Data Evaluation (U) A key element in determining the efficacy of the training procedure under investigation lies in the evaluation protocols. Given the nature of the RV product, which consists of a narrative description plus drawings and sketches, it has been necessary to -9- SCR Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Release eNCPEAS CYETE Bo 28RO" 800240001-7 (U) expend considerable effort over the last decade (in our laboratory and elsewhere) to develop objective, quantitative measures of RV performance. (U) In brief, early evaluation procedures consisted of some form of subjective (although blind) analysis procedure in which, for a given series of RV trials, a judge was asked to rank order the RV response packets against each of the sites used in the series. For example, in a ten-trial series, a judge would blind—-rank—order all ten transcripts as to how they matched Target No. 1, then Target No. 2, and so forth. Ina good series, the transcript generated in response to a particular target would fall near the top of the rank—order list for that target. An exact statistical calculation could then be made as to the probability of obtaining the resulting distribution of rank orderings by chance. * (U) The next step in sophistication came with the development (at SRI) of concept analysis, in which specific concepts in each transcript were matched against specific attributes of each target site. We could then determine not just generally whether RV functioning had taken place and to what degree, but could evaluate on a concept—by—concept basis the degree of match between transcripts and sites. t (U) The idea of concept analysis was taken to its logical conclusion in the efforts of R. Jahn, et al., Engineering Anomalies Research Laboratory at Princeton University. A generalized 30-element descriptor list was developed in which, for each target site and for each transcript, a particular element on the list (e.g., significant presence of water) could be checked off as present or absent. Thus, the output of any given transcript was a 30-bit code, which could then be compared against 30-bit codes associated with various targets. The result is a complex, but meaningful, analysis system where transcripts can be compared against targets on a completely computer—automated basis~-including direct matches (transcripts against associated sites) and cross matches (for controls). Furthermore, given that the abundance or rarity of a given element in a target pool is known, the details of the analysis system can take into account that the correct description of a rare element is to be *(U) See, for example, H. Puthoff, R. Targ, and E. May, “Experimental Psi Research: Implications for Physics,” in “The Role of Conciousness in the Physical World,” ed. R. Jahn, AAAS Selected Symposium 57, Westview Press, Inc., Boulder, CO (1981). t(U) E. May “A Remote Viewing Evaluation Protocol (U),” Final Report, SRI/GF—0247, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (December 1982; Revised July 1983), SECRET/NOFORN. -10- UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Releasq FCP As ial 6-00788R001800240001-7 (U) given more weight than that of a common element.* A descriptor—list net is somewhat coarse in its ability to represent a target, and therefore constitutes a very conservative measure of target content; the advantages of the attendant analysis techniques are felt to constitute a useful trade-off. (U) The procedure described in the above paragraph has now been modified and extended by the SRI research team to provide not only measures of transcript/target correlation, but also additional quantitative measures of overall performance, such as accuracy, reliability, and overall figure of merit.t This modified procedure is the one employed in the evaluation of the results of the training programs under study, including the Track I effort that is the focus of this particular study. (U) In our study, a list of 20 descriptors was developed to characterize both target sites and transcripts. As opposed to the list developed by Jahn to represent local urban target sites, this list is especially tailored to be descriptive of a wide variety of climes, locales and conditions, as might be encountered in remote viewing of sites all around the globe. The descriptor list check sheet is given in Appendix A. (U) The list of sites used as targets in the Track I Training Task is given in Appendix B. Included in the list is a folder I.D. number, the name of the site, its coordinates, and a seven—digit octal number representing the information content of that site. To obtain the latter, an SRI analyst filled out the descriptor list check sheet, entering yes or no as to the presence or absence of each of the 20 elements on the list; the 20-bit binary number thus generated was then converted into its octal equivalent for ease of computer entry. *(U) R. Jahn, et al., “Analytical Judging Procedure for Remote Viewing Experiments,” Jour. Parapsychology, Vol, 44, No. e, pp. 207-231 (September 1980). t(U) E. May, et al., “An Automated RV Evaluation Procedure (U),” Final Report (in press), SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (December 1984), SECRET/NOFORN. -1li- UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Relea NCrAssifitD 800240001-7 IV RESULTS (UV) A. (U) RV Session Records (U) The chronological record of sessions for each of the RVers is included as Appendix C. Each of the sessions, designated by a X000~series number (Column 1), has associated with it a code (Column 2), which is the octal equivalent of the 20-bit binary number that represents the RVer response (transcript) content. That number was generated for each transcript as was done for the sites, with the SRI analyst kept blind as to the associated site so as to maintain objectivity. (U) In Column 3 the folder I.D. number (target site number) is listed, followed in Column 4 by the code (octal number) representing the target-site content. Columns 5 through 7 contain the results of primary interest: accuracy, reliability and figure of merit. The “Accuracy” column gives the percentage of bits representing the target that the RVer correctly identifies, and thus represents an assessment of the accuracy of the target description. The “Reliability” column addresses a slightly different measure, the percentage of response bits that are correct, which indicates how reliable the RVer’s remarks are. As to the difference between accuracy and reliability, RVers might render encyclopedic descriptions that cover all possible cases, in which case their accuracy would be high, but their reliability low. Conversely, they might say but one thing (correctly), which would give a high reliability factor for what was said, but would not constitute a fully complete and accurate description of the site. What is desired, of course, is that both measures be high, and this is what is tested for by the “Figure of Merit,”—-the product of the accuracy and reliability measures. A more detailed discussion of these issues can be found in the “RV Automated Evaluation Procedure” report referenced earlier. -12- UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Release rRPe TPR s SEF BO 00788Ro01 800240001-7 B. (U) RVer Performance 1. (U) Figure-of-Merit (FM) Plots (U) As a measure of RV training performance over time, the figures of merit (FM) for each of the RVers are plotted, session by session, in Figure 3. The first observation to be noted is that in each case, the empirical distribution of data points provides evidence in support of the predicted performance curve of Figure 2; that is, it consists of an initial short region containing high-quality “first-time effect (FTE),” followed by a region of slowly-rising growth in RVer performance as intermixed practice and instruction proceeds. Specifically, in these data sets, the FTE region is characterized by an initial region containing “outlier” point(s)—-points that lie outside the main distribution——-which include the highest—valued point in the entire data set, followed by a drop that is the largest in the data set. This is then followed by a curve which, on the average, climbs steadily as the bulk of the training proceeds. (U) As a first step, we examine whether these observations meet the requirements for statistical significance. Given previous observations that the FTE region typically contains fewer than five data points, a significant statistic is generated even by the conservative calculation as to the probability that, in these three cases, the highest—valued point in each data set should occur within, say, the first ten points (p = 0.026). Furthermore, in all three cases, the separations of the points in the FTE regions from the least-squares—fit lines that define the slow-growth curves, independently reach statistical significance for six of the eight points in question——a result which is itself Statistically significant (p = 4.0 exp 10 [-7]). In addition, examination of the distribution of the magnitudes of the differential drops over each of the data sets, shows that the magnitudes of the differential drops taken to separate the FTE and slow-growth regions independently reach statistical significance in two of the three cases (just missing it in the third—-again being Statistically significant (p = 7.2 exp 10 [-3]). Thus, the data (taken separately and together) provide support for the predicted performance curve, and indicate that the separation of the data into the FTE and the slow-growth regions is both justified and appropriate. -13~ UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Reteast INCLA : P96-00788R001800240001-7 NCLASSIE (RVer 309) cae = TRAINING MEAN Xp = BASELINE MEAN FIGURE OF MERIT (FM) (RVer 558) FTE REGION FIGURE OF MERIT (FM) NAN (RVer 694) FTE REGION FIGURE OF MERIT (FM) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 . TRIAL NUMBER “FIRST-TIME” EFFECT UNCLASSIFIED FIGURE 3 (U) RV TRAINING PERFORMANCE -~14— UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Release PRE eB Reg STE TE TBE 00788R001 800240001-7 2. (U) Results (U) With regard to the slow-growth region, the slopes of all three RVers are positive, in line with prediction; however, only one reaches statistical significance at the p = 0.05 level, that of RVer #309. As a second measure, the difference in the FM means of the baseline~ and training—data sets (indicated by the shaded areas on the left side of the plots in Figure 3) is in favor of the learning hypothesis for all three RVers, but again reaches Statistical significance only in the case of RVer #309 (p = 1.3 exp 10 [-3]). Thus, support for the efficacy of the Track I Training effort lies primarily with RVer #309. These results are summarized in Table 2 below. Table 2 (U) TRAINING RESULTS Training (Baseline/Training) Mean FM 0.008 0.096/0.352 1,3 exp 10 [-3]* 0.003 0.372/0.378 p= o.4t 0.004 0.252/0.372 p = 0.15* *Statistically significant twonsignificant UNCLASSSIFIED -15- UNCLASSIFIED Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7
Approved For Release 2000 ERE RIA RDPI6-00788R001800240001-7 V SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS A. (U) Summary of Purpose and Approach (U) The purpose of this SRI study was to investigate a particular approach to RV training, with special emphasis on evaluation and authentication under strict double-blind conditions. The procedure involves targeting on the target site using geographical coordinates; it is structured to proceed through a number of well-defined stages that have been hypothesized to correspond to stages of increased contact with the site. (S/NF) As the first step in the study, the DIA COTR-in-residence selected three individuals from the staff of the SRI Radio Physics Laboratory to act as trainees. A five-trial RV series was carried out with each RVer (before training instruction) to serve as a measure of baseline performance, and psychological profile tests were administered to provide data for a separate selection/screening task. (U) At that point training instruction began, includilng RV practice sessions. The sessions were performed under strict double-blind protocols, that is, neither trainee nor experimenter/monitor were knowledgeable as to the identity of the target site; feedback was provided to the trainee only after the entire session was completed. The training continued over a four-month period, with interleaved instruction and practice, progressing up to the beginning-to—mid Stage III in the nomenclature of the procedure under study. A minimum of thirty trials each was collected from each RVer. (U) For the purposes of data evaluation, an objective procedure involving computer—~automated target/transcript matching was developed. The procedure, a modification of one developed at Princeton University’s Engineering Anomalies Research Laboratory, is based on the reduction of site and transcript descriptions to a 20~bit code each. A 20-question descriptor—list sheet was used to obtain the codes describing the presence or absence of particular elements (e.g., water). The descriptor—list sheets are filled out in the blind (without knowledge as to the corresponding site or transcript) in order to maintain objectivity. Analysis then continues on the basis of computer tabulation of matches ~16-—- SEGRE Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00788R001800240001-7