We consider the possible role of current large language models (LLMs) in the study of human linguistic cognition. We focus on the use of such models as proxies for theories of cognition that are relatively linguistically-neutral in their representations and learning but differ from current LLMs in key ways. We illustrate this potential use of LLMs as proxies for theories of cognition in the context of two kinds of questions: (a) whether the target theory accounts for the acquisition of a given pattern from a given corpus; and (b) whether the target theory makes a given typologically-attested pattern easier to acquire than another, typologically-unattested pattern. For each of the two questions we show, building on recent literature, how current LLMs can potentially be of help, but we note that at present this help is quite limited.

翻译：我们探讨当前大语言模型（LLMs）在人类语言认知研究中的潜在作用。我们重点关注将此类模型用作认知理论代理的可能性——这些理论在表征和学习机制上具有相对的语言中立性，但在关键方面与当前的大语言模型存在差异。我们通过两类研究问题阐释LLMs作为认知理论代理的潜在应用：(a) 目标理论能否解释从特定语料库中习得特定语言模式的过程；(b) 目标理论是否使某种类型学上可验证的模式比另一种类型学上未验证的模式更易习得。针对这两个问题，我们基于近期文献论证了当前LLMs可能提供的帮助，但同时指出目前这种帮助仍相当有限。