diff --git a/src/Puppitor_test_harness.py b/src/Puppitor_test_harness.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1424240
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Puppitor_test_harness.py
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import affecter
+import gesture_keys
+import animation_structure
+
+test_affecter = affecter.Gesture_Affecter('test_passions_rules.json','./affect_rules/')
+test_anim_struct = animation_structure.Animation_Structure(4)
+test_affect_vector = affecter.Affect_Vector(test_affecter.affect_rules.keys(), test_affecter.affect_rules)
+
+test_gesture_keys_obj = gesture_keys.Gesture_Interface()
+
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_possible_states('open_flow', True)
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_possible_states('tempo_up', True)
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_possible_states('tempo_down', True)
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_possible_states('closed_flow', True)
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_possible_states('projected_energy', True)
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_possible_states('pause', True)
+
+print(test_gesture_keys_obj.possible_action_states)
+print()
+
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_actual_states('open_flow', True)
+test_affecter.update_affect(test_affect_vector, test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['actions'], test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['modifiers'])
+print(test_gesture_keys_obj.actual_action_states)
+print()
+print(test_affect_vector.affects)
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_actual_states('closed_flow', True)
+test_affecter.update_affect(test_affect_vector, test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['actions'], test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['modifiers'])
+print(test_gesture_keys_obj.actual_action_states)
+print()
+print(test_affect_vector.affects)
+print()
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_actual_states('projected_energy', True)
+test_affecter.update_affect(test_affect_vector, test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['actions'], test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['modifiers'])
+print(test_gesture_keys_obj.actual_action_states)
+print()
+print(test_affect_vector.affects)
+print()
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_actual_states('resting', True)
+test_affecter.update_affect(test_affect_vector, test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['actions'], test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['modifiers'])
+print(test_gesture_keys_obj.actual_action_states)
+print()
+print(test_affect_vector.affects)
+print()
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_actual_states('tempo_up', True)
+test_affecter.update_affect(test_affect_vector, test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['actions'], test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['modifiers'])
+print(test_gesture_keys_obj.actual_action_states)
+print()
+print(test_affect_vector.affects)
+print()
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_actual_states('tempo_down', True)
+test_affecter.update_affect(test_affect_vector, test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['actions'], test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['modifiers'])
+print(test_gesture_keys_obj.actual_action_states)
+print()
+print(test_affect_vector.affects)
+print()
+test_gesture_keys_obj.update_actual_states('neutral', True)
+test_affecter.update_affect(test_affect_vector, test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['actions'], test_gesture_keys_obj.current_states['modifiers'])
+print(test_gesture_keys_obj.actual_action_states)
+print()
+print(test_affect_vector.affects)
+print()
+
+print(test_affecter.get_possible_affects(test_affect_vector))
+print(test_affecter.get_prevailing_affect(test_affect_vector))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/__pycache__/affecter.cpython-38.pyc b/src/__pycache__/affecter.cpython-38.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a9f2d8e
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/__pycache__/affecter.cpython-38.pyc differ
diff --git a/src/__pycache__/animation_structure.cpython-38.pyc b/src/__pycache__/animation_structure.cpython-38.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4eb93a2
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/__pycache__/animation_structure.cpython-38.pyc differ
diff --git a/src/__pycache__/gesture_keys.cpython-38.pyc b/src/__pycache__/gesture_keys.cpython-38.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..027ff86
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/__pycache__/gesture_keys.cpython-38.pyc differ
diff --git a/src/affecter.py b/src/affecter.py
index 92552ae..a54507d 100644
--- a/src/affecter.py
+++ b/src/affecter.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ def __init__(self, affect_rules_name, affect_rules_directory, affect_floor = 0.0
         self.floor_value = affect_floor
         self.ceil_value = affect_ceiling
         self.equilibrium_action = equilibrium_action
-        self.current_affect = self.affect_rules.keys()[0] # TODO do something more consistent and robust
+        self.current_affect = None # changed to None because this value will get updated immediately through the run loop (as long as you call update_affect()
 
     # for use clamping the updated affect values between a given floor_value and ceil_value
     def _update_and_clamp_values(self, affect_value, affect_update_value, floor_value, ceil_value):