“Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700090011-6 Four-State Electronic Random Nunber Generator This study provided an opportunity to detcrmine whether the re- mote sensing capability could be extended to the perception of the internal state of a piece of electronic equipment. For this purpose, an automated experiment designed around a four-state electronic random number generator was initiated. The solid-state machine has no moving parts and provides no sensory cue to the user as to its target genera- - tion. In order to determine unambiguously whether a result was meaning- ful, the following strategy was used. First, the randomness of the machine was verified by over 10,000 pre-experiment trials (details given below). Second, the subjects interacted with the machine to. generate the datas Third, for any subject whose score was significant, the statistics of the machine during the successful experiment were tabulated to insure that the machine had not departed from randomness in the period in which a significant result was obtained. Fourth, a subject generating a good score was asked to repeat the entire experi- ment after a one-month lag period. Finally, the entire data analysis was carried “out by an independent statistics group at SRI. CO. Richard Linglotir), The machine configuration provides as a target one of four art slides chosen randomly ( = 1/4) by an electronic random generator. The generator does not indicate its choice until the subject indicates his choice to the machine by pressing a button (see Figure 11). (The Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700090011-6
: dee a : Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700090011-6 ~. FIGURE 11 Four-state electronic random number generator used jn this experiment. An incorrect choice of target is indicated. Two of the five “encouragement lights” at the top ef the machine are illuminated. The printer to the right of the machine records data on fan-fold paper tape. Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700090011-6
Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : ola: RDP 26: eee a -6 hine has interne ates Z square-wave oscillator sends pulses to an electronic "scale-of-four" counter which passes through each of its four states 250,000 times per second. The state of the counter is determined by the length-of time the oscillator has run, that is, the time between subject choices.) As soon as the subject indicates his choice, the target slide is illuminated to provide visual and auditory (bell if correct) feedback as to the correctness : é or incorrectness of his choice. Until that time, both subject and experimenter remain ignorant, of the machine's choice, so the experiment is of the double-blind type. Five legends at the top of the machine face are illuminated one at a time with increasing correct choices (6, 8, 10, --.) to provide additional reinforcement. The machine choice, subject choice, cumulative trial number, and cumulative hit number are recorded automatically on a printer. Following trial numser 25, the machine must be reset manually by depressing a RESET button. ‘A methodological feature of the machine is that the choice of a target is not forced. That is, a subject may press a PASS button when he wishes not to guess, in which case the machine indicates what its choice was. ‘The machine thus scores neither a hit nor a trial and then goes on to make its next selection. Thus, the subject does not have to guess at targets when he does not feel that he has an idea as to which to choose. Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700090011-6