{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7163173365","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.01914","title":"Mechanistic Diagnostics of Spatial Lexical Bias in Multimodal Large Language Model Spatial Reasoning","display_name":"Mechanistic Diagnostics of Spatial Lexical Bias in Multimodal Large Language Model Spatial Reasoning","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-06-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7163173365","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.01914"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2606.01914","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.01914","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"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":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.01914","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5137638628","display_name":"Chuang Ma","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ma, Chuang","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5137624759","display_name":"Qianying Liu","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Liu, Qianying","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5137659194","display_name":"Tomoyuki Obuchi","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Obuchi, Tomoyuki","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5137657908","display_name":"Fei Cheng","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Cheng, Fei","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5137628199","display_name":"Wang Yang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yang, Wang","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5137677509","display_name":"Sudong Cai","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Cai, Sudong","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5137710019","display_name":"Shuyuan Zheng","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zheng, Shuyuan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5137623105","display_name":"Akiko Aizawa","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Aizawa, Akiko","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5137624977","display_name":"Sadao Kurohashi","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Kurohashi, Sadao","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":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"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/T11714","display_name":"Multimodal Machine Learning Applications","score":0.75,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11714","display_name":"Multimodal Machine Learning Applications","score":0.75,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.05310000106692314,"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"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10465","display_name":"Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism","score":0.031199999153614044,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2805","display_name":"Cognitive Neuroscience"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/28","display_name":"Neuroscience"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/1","display_name":"Life Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/interpretability","display_name":"Interpretability","score":0.8032000064849854},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/leverage","display_name":"Leverage (statistics)","score":0.6531999707221985},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/spatial-relation","display_name":"Spatial relation","score":0.4964999854564667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/component","display_name":"Component (thermodynamics)","score":0.43709999322891235},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/language-model","display_name":"Language model","score":0.4207000136375427},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/spatial-analysis","display_name":"Spatial analysis","score":0.41499999165534973},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/visual-reasoning","display_name":"Visual reasoning","score":0.40779998898506165},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/relation","display_name":"Relation (database)","score":0.3813999891281128}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781067378","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17027399","display_name":"Interpretability","level":2,"score":0.8032000064849854},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.7096999883651733},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C153083717","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6535263","display_name":"Leverage (statistics)","level":2,"score":0.6531999707221985},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.5960000157356262},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C27511587","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2178623","display_name":"Spatial relation","level":2,"score":0.4964999854564667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C204321447","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30642","display_name":"Natural language processing","level":1,"score":0.4514000117778778},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C168167062","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1117970","display_name":"Component (thermodynamics)","level":2,"score":0.43709999322891235},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137293760","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3621696","display_name":"Language model","level":2,"score":0.4207000136375427},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C159620131","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1938983","display_name":"Spatial analysis","level":2,"score":0.41499999165534973},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777508537","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7936620","display_name":"Visual reasoning","level":2,"score":0.40779998898506165},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.40639999508857727},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C25343380","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q277521","display_name":"Relation (database)","level":2,"score":0.3813999891281128},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C155911833","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3817354","display_name":"Spatial intelligence","level":2,"score":0.36149999499320984},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C75291252","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1315756","display_name":"TRACE (psycholinguistics)","level":2,"score":0.3483000099658966},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C90805587","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10944557","display_name":"Word (group theory)","level":2,"score":0.3237999975681305},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C63479239","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7353546","display_name":"Robustness (evolution)","level":3,"score":0.30300000309944153},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777601683","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6499736","display_name":"Vocabulary","level":2,"score":0.2858000099658966},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C160920958","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7662746","display_name":"Synthetic data","level":2,"score":0.274399995803833},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C28719098","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44946","display_name":"Point (geometry)","level":2,"score":0.2687999904155731},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C95623464","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1096149","display_name":"Classifier (UML)","level":2,"score":0.25769999623298645}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2606.01914","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.01914","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"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":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2606.01914","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.01914","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"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":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"score":0.6291078925132751,"display_name":"Peace, Justice and strong institutions","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Multimodal":[0],"large":[1],"language":[2,123],"models":[3,72],"(MLLMs)":[4],"remain":[5],"unreliable":[6],"on":[7,121,144,166,177,194,204],"spatial":[8,31,36,77,86,139],"multiple-choice":[9],"questions,":[10],"and":[11,48,106,133,152,163,197,201,210],"their":[12],"failures":[13],"are":[14],"often":[15],"attributed":[16],"to":[17,39,55,92,159,191],"poorly":[18],"attended":[19],"visual":[20,128,130],"information.":[21],"In":[22,70],"this":[23,65,167],"work,":[24],"we":[25,62,169],"identify":[26],"a":[27,35,75,113,172],"complementary":[28],"failure":[29,118],"mode,":[30],"lexical":[32],"bias:":[33],"adding":[34],"relation":[37,140],"word":[38],"the":[40,45,50,93,117,122,127,137,157,183],"answer":[41,74,94],"options":[42],"can":[43,73],"attract":[44],"model's":[46],"decision":[47],"make":[49],"newly":[51],"added":[52,91],"option":[53,87],"likely":[54],"be":[56],"selected.":[57],"Using":[58],"nine":[59],"open-weight":[60],"MLLMs,":[61],"show":[63,136,170],"that":[64,112,171],"phenomenon":[66],"is":[67,90],"widely":[68],"observed.":[69],"particular,":[71],"binary":[76],"question":[78],"correctly,":[79],"yet":[80],"consistently":[81],"select":[82],"an":[83],"incorrect":[84],"third":[85],"once":[88],"it":[89],"set.":[95],"We":[96],"isolate":[97],"such":[98],"binary-stable":[99],"but":[100],"ternary-fragile":[101],"cases":[102],"as":[103],"diagnostic":[104],"examples":[105],"leverage":[107],"mechanistic":[108],"interpretability":[109],"tools,":[110],"revealing":[111],"substantial":[114],"part":[115],"of":[116],"instead":[119],"originates":[120],"side":[124],"rather":[125],"than":[126],"side:":[129],"attention":[131],"analyses":[132],"residual-stream":[134],"probes":[135],"correct":[138],"remains":[141],"internally":[142],"available":[143],"these":[145],"failures,":[146],"while":[147],"irrelevant-option":[148],"controls,":[149],"activation":[150],"patching,":[151],"sparse":[153],"component":[154],"interventions":[155],"trace":[156],"bias":[158],"specific":[160],"LLM-side":[161],"channels":[162],"neurons.":[164],"Based":[165],"finding,":[168],"lightweight":[173],"LLM-only":[174],"DPO":[175],"update":[176],"tiny":[178],"single-object-pair":[179],"synthetic":[180,195],"data":[181],"mitigates":[182],"bias,":[184],"lifting":[185],"four-way":[186],"robust":[187],"accuracy":[188],"by":[189,198],"up":[190],"100":[192],"points":[193,203],"data,":[196],"68.0,":[199],"32.6,":[200],"20.1":[202],"broader":[205],"evaluation":[206],"datasets":[207],"WhatsUp,":[208],"SpatialMQA-Direct,":[209],"VSR.":[211]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-01T06:00:48.157686","created_date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00"}