The Psychological Meaning of Words: LIWC and Computerized Text Analysis Methods

2009/12/08 by Yla R. Tausczik, James W. Pennebaker · 4,276 citations

paper · doi:10.1177/0261927x09351676

published in Journal of Language and Social Psychology 29(1), 24-54 (SAGE Publications)

crossref issued 2009/12/08 · crossref published 2009/12/08 · crossref published-online 2009/12/08 · crossref created 2009/12/08 · crossref published-print 2010/03/01 · crossref deposited 2026/04/29 · crossref indexed 2026/08/07

Abstract

We are in the midst of a technological revolution whereby, for the first time, researchers can link daily word use to a broad array of real-world behaviors. This article reviews several computerized text analysis methods and describes how Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) was created and validated. LIWC is a transparent text analysis program that counts words in psychologically meaningful categories. Empirical results using LIWC demonstrate its ability to detect meaning in a wide variety of experimental settings, including to show attentional focus, emotionality, social relationships, thinking styles, and individual differences.

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