CAT: An LLM-based tool for content analysis in experimental economics

Abstract

We introduce the Communication Annotation Tool (CAT), an LLM-based tool for content analysis. CAT is intended to analyze free-form communication from economic experiments, accommodating a wide variety of communication structures. We describe CAT’s features including a broad array of customization options and a template for developing a coding manual. A detailed guide for using CAT is provided, including a step-by-step demonstration showing how CAT is used to quantify the content of communication from an experimental dataset. CAT is designed for easy monitoring of the coding process which ensures replicability of the communication coding method and simplifies identification and resolution of problems. We conclude by discussing CAT’s limitations and issues that users should keep in mind.