{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7130607120","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2602.15847","title":"Do Personality Traits Interfere? Geometric Limitations of Steering in Large Language Models","display_name":"Do Personality Traits Interfere? Geometric Limitations of Steering in Large Language Models","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-23","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7130607120","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2602.15847"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.15847","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5045808776","display_name":"Pranav Bhandari","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5638-5339"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Bhandari, Pranav","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5126412374","display_name":"Usman Naseem","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Naseem, Usman","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5086025266","display_name":"Mehwish Nasim","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0683-9125"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Nasim, Mehwish","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.1555666,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11040","display_name":"Personality Traits and Psychology","score":0.210099995136261,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3203","display_name":"Clinical Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11040","display_name":"Personality Traits and Psychology","score":0.210099995136261,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3203","display_name":"Clinical Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11118","display_name":"Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior","score":0.13600000739097595,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3205","display_name":"Experimental and Cognitive Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.11860000342130661,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/trait","display_name":"Trait","score":0.7527999877929688},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/personality","display_name":"Personality","score":0.7402999997138977},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/big-five-personality-traits","display_name":"Big Five personality traits","score":0.614300012588501},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/limiting","display_name":"Limiting","score":0.5547000169754028},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/range","display_name":"Range (aeronautics)","score":0.47609999775886536},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/facet","display_name":"Facet (psychology)","score":0.46209999918937683},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/trait-theory","display_name":"Trait theory","score":0.4311000108718872}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C106934330","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1971873","display_name":"Trait","level":2,"score":0.7527999877929688},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C187288502","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q641118","display_name":"Personality","level":2,"score":0.7402999997138977},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2865642","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378132","display_name":"Big Five personality traits","level":3,"score":0.614300012588501},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188198153","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1613840","display_name":"Limiting","level":2,"score":0.5547000169754028},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C204323151","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q905424","display_name":"Range (aeronautics)","level":2,"score":0.47609999775886536},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C43122875","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5428522","display_name":"Facet (psychology)","level":4,"score":0.46209999918937683},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.4584999978542328},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C180747234","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23373","display_name":"Cognitive psychology","level":1,"score":0.44279998540878296},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C31670503","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18773","display_name":"Trait theory","level":4,"score":0.4311000108718872},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77805123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161272","display_name":"Social psychology","level":1,"score":0.37439998984336853},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.3569999933242798},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C134238545","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4736511","display_name":"Alternative five model of personality","level":5,"score":0.30869999527931213},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780354894","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q679300","display_name":"Steering wheel","level":2,"score":0.26919999718666077},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780009758","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6804172","display_name":"Measure (data warehouse)","level":2,"score":0.2689000070095062},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C71104824","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1476639","display_name":"Structural equation modeling","level":2,"score":0.2687999904155731},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.2639000117778778},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C104065381","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1002535","display_name":"Geometric modeling","level":2,"score":0.262800008058548},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778334786","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1586270","display_name":"Variation (astronomy)","level":2,"score":0.25859999656677246},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777299769","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3707858","display_name":"Type (biology)","level":2,"score":0.250900000333786},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C98045186","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205663","display_name":"Process (computing)","level":2,"score":0.25049999356269836}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.15847","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.15847","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2602.15847","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.15847","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Personality":[0],"steering":[1,12,41,45,76,82,113],"in":[2,88,121],"large":[3],"language":[4],"models":[5],"(LLMs)":[6],"commonly":[7],"relies":[8],"on":[9],"injecting":[10],"trait-specific":[11],"vectors,":[13],"implicitly":[14],"assuming":[15],"that":[16,74,118],"personality":[17,40,75,119],"traits":[18,120],"can":[19,111],"be":[20],"controlled":[21],"independently.":[22],"In":[23],"this":[24,29],"work,":[25],"we":[26],"examine":[27],"whether":[28],"assumption":[30],"holds":[31],"by":[32],"analysing":[33],"the":[34],"geometric":[35,60,80,101],"relationships":[36],"between":[37],"Big":[38],"Five":[39],"directions.":[42],"We":[43],"study":[44],"vectors":[46],"extracted":[47],"from":[48,63],"two":[49],"model":[50],"families":[51],"(LLaMA-3-8B":[52],"and":[53,55,68,110],"Mistral-8B)":[54],"apply":[56],"a":[57,124],"range":[58],"of":[59],"conditioning":[61],"schemes,":[62],"unconstrained":[64],"directions":[65,77],"to":[66],"soft":[67],"hard":[69,98],"orthonormalisation.":[70],"Our":[71],"results":[72],"show":[73],"exhibit":[78],"substantial":[79],"dependence:":[81],"one":[83],"trait":[84,131],"consistently":[85],"induces":[86],"changes":[87],"others,":[89],"even":[90],"when":[91],"linear":[92],"overlap":[93],"is":[94],"explicitly":[95],"removed.":[96],"While":[97],"orthonormalisation":[99],"enforces":[100],"independence,":[102],"it":[103],"does":[104],"not":[105],"eliminate":[106],"cross-trait":[107],"behavioural":[108],"effects":[109],"reduce":[112],"strength.":[114],"These":[115],"findings":[116],"suggest":[117],"LLMs":[122],"occupy":[123],"slightly":[125],"coupled":[126],"subspace,":[127],"limiting":[128],"fully":[129],"independent":[130],"control.":[132]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-28T07:46:37.118299","created_date":"2026-02-20T00:00:00"}
