title: The Effects of Food Deprivation on Memory Performance

authors: Kerewaro, Jacob Louis

abstract: Previous research has noted that pigeon weights fluctuate over a calendar year with birds being heavier during the winter than the summer months. Given that food deprivation can be a motivator of behaviour, it is possible that the fluctuations in animals’ weights might impact performance in operant research, for example accuracy in a DMTS memory task. The effects of two different amounts of food deprivation on roosters performance in a delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) procedure was measured. There were two conditions 75% and 95% ad libitum free feeding body weight. I attempted to assess whether a lower body weight produces more correct responses in a DMTS procedure. The results indicated that the roosters performed better when less food deprived. The last 10 sessions and the last 400 trials of both conditions was used to describe the memory performance and accuracy. There was a significant difference in the slope of the forgetting function when comparing the two conditions for the last 10 sessions, with no significant differences in the intercept. For the last 400 trials there was no significant difference for the slope or intercept when comparing the two conditions. A ceiling effect was seen to occur with some of the birds. The results from some of the roosters suggest that improved performance might occur due to exposure to the task. More accurate remembering occurred when the roosters changed from one condition to the other condition, suggesting that repeated exposure to the task increased memory performance and accuracy.

text: The Effects of Food Deprivation on Memory Performance Previous research has noted that pigeon weights fluctuate over a calendar year with birds being heavier during the winter than the summer months. Given that food deprivation can be a motivator of behaviour, it is possible that the fluctuations in animals’ weights might impact performance in operant research, for example accuracy in a DMTS memory task. The effects of two different amounts of food deprivation on roosters performance in a delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) procedure was measured. There were two conditions 75% and 95% ad libitum free feeding body weight. I attempted to assess whether a lower body weight produces more correct responses in a DMTS procedure. The results indicated that the roosters performed better when less food deprived. The last 10 sessions and the last 400 trials of both conditions was used to describe the memory performance and accuracy. There was a significant difference in the slope of the forgetting function when comparing the two conditions for the last 10 sessions, with no significant differences in the intercept. For the last 400 trials there was no significant difference for the slope or intercept when comparing the two conditions. A ceiling effect was seen to occur with some of the birds. The results from some of the roosters suggest that improved performance might occur due to exposure to the task. More accurate remembering occurred when the roosters changed from one condition to the other condition, suggesting that repeated exposure to the task increased memory performance and accuracy.

year: 2017

title: The nature of natural: defining natural character for the New Zealand context

authors: Froude, Victoria A.

subjects: baselines

abstract: New Zealand has a long-standing statutory policy goal to preserve the natural character of the coastal environment and various freshwater environments and their margins. In the absence of an authoritative definition, it has not been possible to develop a method to measure natural character and its change, nor the outcomes of the long-standing national policy goal. Here we develop a definition of natural character that is relevant and useful in the New Zealand environmental, cultural and legal/policy context. Literature-derived interpretations of natural character and equivalent concepts are evaluated as to their potential suitability for developing a biophysical definition of natural character. Using a set of carefully designed criteria a subset of interpretations are condensed into a definition of natural character. The application of this definition is qualified following consideration of the literature addressing human perception and experiences of natural character. Appropriate reference conditions and baselines for evaluating natural character in different contexts are discussed.

text: The nature of natural: defining natural character for the New Zealand context New Zealand has a long-standing statutory policy goal to preserve the natural character of the coastal environment and various freshwater environments and their margins. In the absence of an authoritative definition, it has not been possible to develop a method to measure natural character and its change, nor the outcomes of the long-standing national policy goal. Here we develop a definition of natural character that is relevant and useful in the New Zealand environmental, cultural and legal/policy context. Literature-derived interpretations of natural character and equivalent concepts are evaluated as to their potential suitability for developing a biophysical definition of natural character. Using a set of carefully designed criteria a subset of interpretations are condensed into a definition of natural character. The application of this definition is qualified following consideration of the literature addressing human perception and experiences of natural character. Appropriate reference conditions and baselines for evaluating natural character in different contexts are discussed.

year: 2010

title: Māori language resources and Māori initiatives for teaching and learning te reo Māori

authors: Greensill, Hineitimoana

abstract: As the most southerly member of the Polynesian languages, a sub-group of the widespread Austronesian language family (Harlow, 2007), te reo Māori has been the subject of substantial analysis, documentation, and analyses of its structure since first contact with Captain Cook in 1769 (Whaanga & Greensill, 2014). The history, trials and tribulations of te reo Māori in Aotearoa have been well documented (see, for example, Reedy, 2000; Spolsky, 2005; Waitangi Tribunal, 1986, 2011). The various reasons for the language’s decline has been an area of ongoing debate and critique by academics, researchers, linguists, language activists, parliamentarians and Māori in recent times (see, for example, Bauer, 2008; Benton, 2015; Higgins, Rewi, & Olsen-Reeder, 2014; Rata, 2007; Winitana, 2011).

text: Māori language resources and Māori initiatives for teaching and learning te reo Māori As the most southerly member of the Polynesian languages, a sub-group of the widespread Austronesian language family (Harlow, 2007), te reo Māori has been the subject of substantial analysis, documentation, and analyses of its structure since first contact with Captain Cook in 1769 (Whaanga & Greensill, 2014). The history, trials and tribulations of te reo Māori in Aotearoa have been well documented (see, for example, Reedy, 2000; Spolsky, 2005; Waitangi Tribunal, 1986, 2011). The various reasons for the language’s decline has been an area of ongoing debate and critique by academics, researchers, linguists, language activists, parliamentarians and Māori in recent times (see, for example, Bauer, 2008; Benton, 2015; Higgins, Rewi, & Olsen-Reeder, 2014; Rata, 2007; Winitana, 2011).

year: 2017