Mental profile mapping: A psychological single-candidate authorship attribution method

Modern authorship attribution methods are often comprised of powerful yet opaque machine learning algorithms. While much of this work lends itself to concrete outcomes in the form of probability scores, advanced approaches typically preclude deeper insights in the form of psychological interpretatio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2018-07, Vol.13 (7), p.e0200588-e0200588
Main Author: Boyd, Ryan L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Analysis
Artificial intelligence
Authoring
Authorship
Automatic text analysis
Behn, Aphra (1640-1689)
Biology and Life Sciences
Engineering and Technology
Forensic sciences
Handbooks
Humans
Language
Learning algorithms
Machine learning
Mapping
Medical literature
Medicine and Health Sciences
Mental depression
Methods
Models, Psychological
Neural networks
Older people
Perception (Psychology)
Personality
Psychology
Psychometrics
Research methodology
Scientific research
Smartphones
Social networks
Social Sciences
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Summary:Modern authorship attribution methods are often comprised of powerful yet opaque machine learning algorithms. While much of this work lends itself to concrete outcomes in the form of probability scores, advanced approaches typically preclude deeper insights in the form of psychological interpretation. Additionally, few attribution methods exist for single-candidate authorship problems, most of which require large amounts of supplemental data to perform and none of which rely upon explicitly psychological measures. The current study introduces Mental Profile Mapping, a new authorship attribution technique for single-candidate authorship questions that is founded on previous scientific research pertaining to the nature of language and psychology. In the current study, baseline expectations for results and performance are set using an advanced technique known as "unmasking" on the test case of Aphra Behn, a 17th century English playwright. Following this, Mental Profile Mapping is introduced and tested for its psychometric properties, tested using a "bogus insertion" method, and then applied to canonical Aphra Behn plays. Results from both attribution methods suggest that 2 of 5 questioned plays are likely to have been authored by Behn, with the remaining 3 plays exhibiting a poor fit for Behn's psychological fingerprint. Mental Profile Mapping results are then decomposed into deeper psychological interpretation, a quality unique to this new method.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0200588