Natural language processing (NLP)-previously the domain of a select few language and computer scientists-is undergoing an unprecedented surge in popularity across disciplines. The ubiquity of language data, alongside extremely rapid methodological innovations, has magnetized the field, attracting researchers with the promise of measuring, forecasting, and understanding the most central questions in business, psychology, biology, sociology, the humanities, and beyond. The power of language analysis to reveal insights into human thought, feeling, and behavior has become a core interest emerging from recent technological advances, which are being probed to unearth deeply embedded truths about the human condition. However, NLP research has reached a critical juncture, sitting at the cusp of societal transformation in many aspects of daily life. The details of how NLP research develops over the next 3-5 years will define this transformation. In this emerging, near-infinite space of NLP-driven research, we provide a critical frame of reference for how, when, and why these technologies should evolve in a particularly transdisciplinary manner. Specifically, we discuss (a) the urgency of pairing existing and emerging NLP research with existing scientific knowledge, theory, and principles from the behavioral sciences; (b) the coevolution of NLP technologies; and (c) the practical implications and ethical consequences of expanding language analysis using broader psychosocial theories of the human condition. While our discussion focuses principally on using language as a window in the individual mind, this topic holds substantial implications for other disciplines and lines of inquiry, including the dynamics of social interaction and beyond. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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言语行为和社会科学的未来。


自然语言处理 (NLP) 以前是少数语言和计算机科学家的领域，现在跨学科的受欢迎程度正在经历前所未有的激增。无处不在的语言数据，加上极快的方法创新，吸引了研究人员来测量、预测和理解商业、心理学、生物学、社会学、人文学科等领域最核心的问题。语言分析揭示人类思想、情感和行为洞察力的能力已成为最近技术进步中出现的核心兴趣，人们正在探索这些技术进步以挖掘有关人类状况的深层真理。然而，NLP 研究已经到了一个关键时刻，在日常生活的许多方面都处于社会变革的风口浪尖。未来 3-5 年 NLP 研究如何发展的细节将定义这一转变。在这个新兴的、近乎无限的 NLP 驱动研究领域，我们为这些技术如何、何时以及为何以特别跨学科的方式发展提供了一个关键的参考框架。具体来说，我们讨论（a）将现有和新兴的 NLP 研究与行为科学的现有科学知识、理论和原理相结合的紧迫性； (b) NLP技术的共同进化； (c) 使用更广泛的人类状况心理社会理论来扩展语言分析的实际影响和伦理后果。虽然我们的讨论主要集中在使用语言作为个人思维的窗口，但该主题对其他学科和调查路线具有重大意义，包括社会互动的动态及其他方面。 （PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2024 APA，保留所有权利）。