In MatMan, matrices can be typed in manually or imported from other programs, including 
The Observer. There are virtually no limitations to the kind of matrices that can be analyzed. However, the analysis functions in MatMan are especially suitable for the following types of matrices:

Sociometric matrices
Behavioral interactions between individuals, for instance in a bee colony, can be represented in a sociometric matrix. In this type of matrix, each cell contains the frequency of interactions shown by one individual (the actor) towards another individual (the receiver). In addition to behavioral interactions, physical distance and other associations between inviduals can be summarized in a sociometric matrix as well.  

Sociometric matrix for the behavior 'contact' (actors in rows, receivers in columns). It shows that contact between the queen and the workers is usually initiated by the workers (high values in the first column versus low values in the first row).  

 

Behavioral profile matrices
Individuals may perform any number of different behaviors. For example, children in a play group do not only play, but they also talk, smile, walk, etc. The behavioral profile matrix provides a quick overview of the frequency or duration of each of the behaviors for each individual. This means that if the individuals are indicated in the rows, each row will contain the behavioral profile of an individual.  

This matrix displays the frequency with which four behaviors were performed by each of the children Alex, Jenny and Tom. For instance, Jenny predominantly talked and laughed (high frequencies), while she hardly played or walked (low frequencies).  

 

Behavioral transistion matrices
Recording the consecutive activities, movements or postures of one or more individuals will result in a sequence of behaviors. Subjecting this data set to a lag sequential analysis may result in a transition matrix, in which each cell contains the frequency with which one behavior follows another.