CASE STUDY: APPLICATION OF RNNS IN SENTIMENT ANALYSIS
FOR A SMARTWATCH COMPANY
Introduction
With the proliferation of online platforms, user reviews have become a gold
mine for businesses to understand customer sentiment. For our fictional
smartwatch company, these reviews can offer insights into product
performance, features, and areas of improvement. The sentiment analysis
of such reviews can help the company in formulating strategies, improving
product quality, and targeting marketing efforts more effectively.
Problem Description
The fictional smartwatch company has collected a substantial number of
reviews from Google. The challenge is to analyze these reviews to classify
sentiments as positive, neutral, or negative. Manual evaluation is time-
consuming and not scalable. Therefore, an automated solution is needed.
Methodology and Approach
To automate the sentiment analysis, we will utilize Recurrent Neural
Networks (RNNs). RNNs are adept at handling sequences (like sentences in
reviews) and can maintain information from previous inputs, making them
suitable for this task.
Sample review data: The dataset consists of two columns: Review, which
contains textual feedback about a smartwatch, and Sentiment, labeled as 0
(negative), 1 (neutral), or 2 (positive).
import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
df = pd.read_csv('./smartwatch_reviews.csv')
df.head(5)
Output:
RNN implementation code with simple explanation
Step 1 : Importing Libraries : Using TensorFlow, a toolset for building
machine learning models, and fetching tools for text processing.
import tensorflow as tf
from tensorflow.keras.preprocessing.text import Tokenizer
from tensorflow.keras.preprocessing.sequence import pad_sequences
Step 2 : For tokenization and padding, we utilize a tokenizer that translates
words into numbers based on the 10,000 most common words, labeling any
unseen words as `<OOV>`. By applying `fit_on_texts`, we familiarize the
tokenizer with our reviews. Once familiar, it transforms these reviews into
lists of numbers using `texts_to_sequences`. To ensure consistency in
review length, we employ `pad_sequences` which standardizes them by
adding zeros as needed.
# Tokenization and Padding
tokenizer = Tokenizer(num_words=10000, oov_token="<OOV>")
tokenizer.fit_on_texts(df['Review'])
sequences = tokenizer.texts_to_sequences(df['Review'])
padded = pad_sequences(sequences, padding='post')
Step 3: Data Split - we allocate 80% for training, analogous to studying,
and the remaining 20% for testing, much like an unseen exam.
# Splitting data into training and testing
split = int(0.8 * len(padded))
train_data = padded[:split]
test_data = padded[split:]
train_labels = df['Sentiment'][:split]
test_labels = df['Sentiment'][split:]
Step 4 : Build the RNN model - we start with the Embedding Layer, which
morphs numbers representing words into detailed feature lists. Following
that, the SimpleRNN layers act as the model's memory, retaining critical
portions of the reviews to grasp the context. Finally, the Dense Layer
assesses the sentiment of the review after its thorough examination.
# RNN model
model = tf.keras.Sequential([
tf.keras.layers.Embedding(10000, 16, input_length=padded.shape[1]),
tf.keras.layers.SimpleRNN(32, return_sequences=True),
tf.keras.layers.SimpleRNN(32),
tf.keras.layers.Dense(3, activation='softmax')
])
Step 5: Compiling the Model - Prepares model for training. Specifies
how to measure mistakes (`loss`), improve (`optimizer`), and tracks its
accuracy (`metrics`).
model.compile(loss='sparse_categorical_crossentropy', optimizer='adam',
metrics=['accuracy'])
Step 6 : Training - Teaches the model using the training set over 10
rounds, testing its knowledge after each round.
history_rnn = model.fit(train_data, train_labels, epochs=10,
validation_data=(test_data, test_labels))
Challenges in Implementation and Strategies to Tackle Them:
Vocabulary Size: The real-world reviews might have a vast vocabulary.
tokenizer = Tokenizer(num_words=10000, oov_token="<OOV>")
Here, we limit the vocabulary to 10,000 words and represent out-of-
vocabulary words with `<OOV>`. The fixed size of the tokenizer's
vocabulary can miss some words, leading to limited understanding. Increase
the vocabulary size or employ techniques like subword tokenization or
embeddings like Word2Vec or GloVe.
Variable Review Length: Reviews can be of varying lengths.
padded = pad_sequences(sequences, padding='post')
Padding ensures reviews have the same length, adding zeros where
necessary.
Vanishing Gradient Problem: RNNs are often affected by the vanishing
gradient problem, making it difficult for the model to learn long-range
dependencies. Use architectures like LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) or
GRU (Gated Recurrent Units) which are designed to tackle this issue.
# LSTM model
model = tf.keras.Sequential([
tf.keras.layers.Embedding(10000, 16, input_length=padded.shape[1]),
tf.keras.layers.LSTM(32, return_sequences=True), # First LSTM layer
with return_sequences=True
tf.keras.layers.LSTM(32), # Second LSTM layer
tf.keras.layers.Dense(3, activation='softmax')
])
model.compile(loss='sparse_categorical_crossentropy', optimizer='adam',
metrics=['accuracy'])
history_lstm = model.fit(train_data, train_labels, epochs=10,
validation_data=(test_data, test_labels))
Overfitting: RNNs might overfit on training data if the dataset is not
sufficiently large. Introduce dropout layers or use regularization techniques.
from keras.layers import Dropout
# LSTM model with Dropout
model = tf.keras.Sequential([
tf.keras.layers.Embedding(10000, 16, input_length=padded.shape[1]),
tf.keras.layers.LSTM(32, return_sequences=True), # First LSTM layer
with return_sequences=True
Dropout(0.5), # Dropout after first LSTM
tf.keras.layers.LSTM(32), # Second LSTM layer
Dropout(0.5), # Dropout after second LSTM
tf.keras.layers.Dense(3, activation='softmax')
])
model.compile(loss='sparse_categorical_crossentropy', optimizer='adam',
metrics=['accuracy'])
history_lstm_dropout = model.fit(train_data, train_labels, epochs=10,
validation_data=(test_data, test_labels))
Comparing Outputs:
To compare the outputs of the RNN, LSTM, and LSTM with dropout models,
you can consider multiple aspects, including:
Model Accuracy: You can observe the final training and validation accuracy
of each model. Higher accuracy usually means better performance but
ensure that both training and validation accuracies are high to prevent
overfitting.
Loss Curves: Plot the training and validation loss for each epoch and
compare them. This will give you an idea of whether a model is overfitting
(if validation loss starts to increase while training loss continues to decrease).
Overfitting: Check the difference between training and validation accuracy
or loss. A large gap might suggest that the model is overfitting. In that case,
regularized models (like LSTM with dropout) may show less overfitting than
others.
Convergence Speed: Notice how fast each model converges to a good
result. Some models might give good performance but might require more
epochs.
Model's Predictions: On a given test dataset, you can also compare the
actual predictions. This might be insightful if you have certain examples that
you think are particularly challenging or important.
Confusion Matrix: You can construct a confusion matrix for each model
on the test data. This matrix will help you understand where the model's
predictions are concentrated and if there are consistent misclassifications.
Loss Curves Implementation:
The plot displays the loss curves for RNN, LSTM, and LSTM with Dropout
models:
RNN: Exhibits steady
learning with a minor gap
between training and
validation loss, suggesting
slight overfitting.
LSTM: While it learns
rapidly, it shows signs of
overfitting as validation
loss increases after the 6th
epoch.
LSTM with Dropout:
Demonstrates balanced
learning with stable
validation loss, indicating
good generalization and
the effectiveness of
dropout in reducing
overfitting.
Choice for Deployment: Based on the plot, LSTM with Dropout is optimal
for its generalization. However, the RNN is also a desirable choice, especially
if resources or complexity are concerns.
Future Steps: Consider experimenting with varied dropout rates, other
regularization methods, and tweaking hyperparameters like learning rate
and batch size for better performance.
Remember, while RNNs can be a desirable choice for sentiment analysis,
depending on the dataset size and complexity, other architectures or
combinations of models might be more appropriate.
Conclusion:
RNNs offer a powerful method for sentiment analysis on user reviews. This
approach allows our fictional smartwatch company to harness the vast data
from online platforms and convert it into actionable insights. However, it's
crucial to address challenges like vocabulary size and sequence length to
ensure optimal performance. With continuous tuning and adaptation, this
methodology can significantly impact product development and marketing
strategies.
