cupido/docs/analysis_summary.md

Analysis Summary: Distance Between Flies

Key Findings

Overall Statistics

• Trained flies (aligned to barrier opening):

  • Data points: 46,613
  • Mean distance: 92.72
  • Std distance: 111.86

• Untrained flies (aligned to barrier opening):

  • Data points: 46,866
  • Mean distance: 78.67
  • Std distance: 102.86

Pre-Opening Period (t < 0)

During this period, flies are physically separated by a barrier:

• Trained mean distance: 155.27
• Untrained mean distance: 147.19

Post-Opening Period (t > 0)

After the barrier is removed and flies can interact:

• Trained mean distance: 77.44
• Untrained mean distance: 61.87

Statistical Tests

Pre-opening period comparison:

• Trained mean: 155.27, Untrained mean: 147.19
• T-statistic: 4.4024, P-value: 1.08e-05
• Cohen's d: 0.0654

Post-opening period comparison:

• Trained mean: 72.52, Untrained mean: 63.86
• T-statistic: 30.4693, P-value: 1.08e-203
• Cohen's d: 0.0914

Within-group changes:

• Trained flies - Pre vs Post:

  • Mean change: -82.75
  • T-statistic: 77.2805, P-value: 0.00e+00
  • Cohen's d: -0.8313

• Untrained flies - Pre vs Post:

  • Mean change: -83.33
  • T-statistic: 84.4719, P-value: 0.00e+00
  • Cohen's d: -0.9022

Interpretation

1. Pre-opening: Both groups show high distances as expected since flies are separated by a barrier. There is a statistically significant difference between groups (p < 0.001), but the effect size is very small (Cohen's d = 0.0654).

2. Post-opening: Both groups show reduced distances after the barrier is removed, indicating interaction between flies. There is a statistically significant difference between groups (p < 0.001) with a small effect size (Cohen's d = 0.0914).

3. Within-group changes: Both trained and untrained flies show significant decreases in distance after the barrier opens (p < 0.001). The effect sizes are large for both groups (Cohen's d = -0.8313 for trained, -0.9022 for untrained).

4. Group Differences:

   • Trained flies maintain slightly higher distances than untrained flies both before and after barrier opening.
   • This could indicate different behavioral patterns between trained and untrained flies, though the effect sizes are small.

Visualization

The plot "avg_distance_aligned_to_opening.png" shows:

• Blue line: Average distance for trained flies (smoothed)
• Red line: Average distance for untrained flies (smoothed)
• Black dashed line: Time of barrier opening (t=0)

The visualization clearly shows the transition from high distances (pre-opening) to lower distances (post-opening) for both groups, with trained flies consistently maintaining slightly higher distances than untrained flies.