The FastDay Forum

[Moogie]

We're always keen to help with fasting research, so I'm drawing attention to:

5-2-diet-chat-f6/participate-in-if-research-study-for-an-amazon-gift-card-t15067.html

Sorry @moogie i tried it but abandoned it..if i had known there were maths questions i would never have started! not my strong point,i didnt understand them at all!
And tbh i was expecting to be answering questions about my fasting experiences
NB to others considering giving it a go...i' m sure they wouldnt be difficult questions to many of you,just to me...i only understand plus,minus,multiply,divide signs....what on earth does (8*3) -1 = mean? Anyone?

The * is used for multiplication. It's easier to identify than an x, which normally stands for a variable. A dot is also used for multiplication, but again, hard to identify in a string of characters. So, @CandiceMarie, (8*3) - 1 = 24 - 1 = 23

Aha thank you so much@wendyjane...all is now clear!
If they had explained that in the survey i'd have continued as my mental arithmetic is very good
But ive never seen a star for a multiplication sign before in all my 66 years! You live and learn! xx
PS so would their question (8/1) + 3 mean 8-1 + 3 ?

No, the slash is a division sign. So (8/1) + 3 equals 11.
Both symbols have been used since the start of the computer age (or whatever this era we are in is called!)
BTW, I have several concerns with the methodology of this study (and have emailed to tell them so). Now I could add another- the potential for error by people who aren't accustomed to doing simple math on a computer.

Sorry @moogie i tried it but abandoned it..if i had known there were maths questions i would never have started! not my strong point,i didnt understand them at all!
And tbh i was expecting to be answering questions about my fasting experiences
NB to others considering giving it a go...i' m sure they wouldnt be difficult questions to many of you,just to me...i only understand plus,minus,multiply,divide signs....what on earth does (8*3) -1 = mean? Anyone?

Thank you so much for your efforts! I apologize for the difficulty of the study, your difficulty is by no means a reflection of you intelligence. Warm wishes!

No, the slash is a division sign. So (8/1) + 3 equals 11.
Both symbols have been used since the start of the computer age (or whatever this era we are in is called!)
BTW, I have several concerns with the methodology of this study (and have emailed to tell them so). Now I could add another- the potential for error by people who aren't accustomed to doing simple math on a computer.

The methodology of the study is based on well validated and widely replicated tasks that are used in a variety of research contexts.

It turns out the researcher is a student doing a very preliminary study. So y'all do it and help her out, ok?

Hi @wendyjane,after some years on a limited budget plus counting calories year in year out for what seems like centuries I' m very adept at doing simple maths in my head,I wd never think of using a computer for it.
Thanks for your help ...armed with that I did the survey - glad to help out the student. I remember as a student looking for candidates to answer my questions for my dissertation.
Phew it takes longer than the stated time tho..because in the second section there were long pauses when I clicked on the arrows for the next page- it became quite tedious. Could click through quite easily on first and third sections though.
I would say it took about 50 mins rather than 30-35 mins.

It turns out the researcher is a student doing a very preliminary study. So y'all do it and help her out, ok?

I did it & it was quite ...can't say fun exactly, but it took a bit longer than I was prepared for. I know it said 35-40 minutes, but they don't usually take as long as they say. I am curious as to how memorizing sequences of numbers & letters relates to fasting. I asked when I emailed for the chance to get the gift card. Let you know what happens. Hope it's a successful project.
Oops, there's another thread that explains why. Just saw it.