Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods & Analysis

June 2025 Live Online Short Course

Machine Learning/Natural Language Processing

Dr. Louis Hickman

Session II: June 9-12 | 10:00 AM EDT – 3:00 PM EDT

Course Description

Organizational and psychological research increasingly uses language data to measure variables and test hypotheses in novel ways. This revolution has been brought on by the availability of open source tools for analyzing language data (e.g., speech, emails, earnings call transcripts, social media content). We will use Python to equip students with skills and example code for using a variety of natural language processing (NLP) methods for converting text data to quantitative data, including traditional, count-based approaches to NLP (dictionaries, n-grams), word embeddings (e.g., word2vec), document embeddings (e.g., BERT), and large language models (LLMs; e.g., GPT, Llama). We will learn how to use these NLP approaches: to estimate similarity among different entities, build predictive models for measuring constructs, to fine tune document embedding models and LLMs, and how to use LLMs to measure variables without training data. Overall, students will come away with a variety of tools for applying NLP in organizational research, while also learning about a variety of papers that have used NLP in organizational research, including micro and macro research and ranging from industrial psychology and human resources topics (e.g., selection and assessment) to organizational behavior/psychology topics.

Course Preview

From the CARMA User Area, click the Register/Purchase tab then select Purchase Short Courses.

Meet the Instructor

My research focuses on the intersection of technology and work, with an emphasis on applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence to organizational science and practice (e.g., automatically scored interviews). More broadly, I use computers to measure verbal, paraverbal, and nonverbal behaviors in order to advance our understanding of how interpersonal perceptions form and how cultural, racial, and gender biases function. My current research projects include: understanding how first impressions form in professional settings, mitigating algorithmic bias, understanding how biases influence hiring decisions, and using machine learning and artificial intelligence to help individuals with personal and professional development. In my research, I collaborate with scholars in psychology, management, information sciences, and computer science.

Follow CARMA on Social Media: