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Main Authors: Kim, Sunwoong, Jeong, Jongho, Han, Jin Soo, Shin, Donghyuk
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.03162
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author Kim, Sunwoong
Jeong, Jongho
Han, Jin Soo
Shin, Donghyuk
author_facet Kim, Sunwoong
Jeong, Jongho
Han, Jin Soo
Shin, Donghyuk
contents Surveys are widely used in social sciences to understand human behavior, but their implementation often involves iterative adjustments that demand significant effort and resources. To this end, researchers have increasingly turned to large language models (LLMs) to simulate human behavior. While existing studies have focused on distributional similarities, individual-level comparisons remain underexplored. Building upon prior work, we investigate whether providing LLMs with respondents' prior information can replicate both statistical distributions and individual decision-making patterns using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), a well-established causal analysis method. We also introduce the concept of the LLM-Mirror, user personas generated by supplying respondent-specific information to the LLM. By comparing responses generated by the LLM-Mirror with actual individual survey responses, we assess its effectiveness in replicating individual-level outcomes. Our findings show that: (1) PLS-SEM analysis shows LLM-generated responses align with human responses, (2) LLMs, when provided with respondent-specific information, are capable of reproducing individual human responses, and (3) LLM-Mirror responses closely follow human responses at the individual level. These findings highlight the potential of LLMs as a complementary tool for pre-testing surveys and optimizing research design.
format Preprint
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institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
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spellingShingle LLM-Mirror: A Generated-Persona Approach for Survey Pre-Testing
Kim, Sunwoong
Jeong, Jongho
Han, Jin Soo
Shin, Donghyuk
Computers and Society
Surveys are widely used in social sciences to understand human behavior, but their implementation often involves iterative adjustments that demand significant effort and resources. To this end, researchers have increasingly turned to large language models (LLMs) to simulate human behavior. While existing studies have focused on distributional similarities, individual-level comparisons remain underexplored. Building upon prior work, we investigate whether providing LLMs with respondents' prior information can replicate both statistical distributions and individual decision-making patterns using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), a well-established causal analysis method. We also introduce the concept of the LLM-Mirror, user personas generated by supplying respondent-specific information to the LLM. By comparing responses generated by the LLM-Mirror with actual individual survey responses, we assess its effectiveness in replicating individual-level outcomes. Our findings show that: (1) PLS-SEM analysis shows LLM-generated responses align with human responses, (2) LLMs, when provided with respondent-specific information, are capable of reproducing individual human responses, and (3) LLM-Mirror responses closely follow human responses at the individual level. These findings highlight the potential of LLMs as a complementary tool for pre-testing surveys and optimizing research design.
title LLM-Mirror: A Generated-Persona Approach for Survey Pre-Testing
topic Computers and Society
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.03162