{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7163872429","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.07422","title":"The Masked Advantage: Uncovering Local-Language Access to Cultural Knowledge in LLMs","display_name":"The Masked Advantage: Uncovering Local-Language Access to Cultural Knowledge in LLMs","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-06-05","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7163872429","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.07422"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2606.07422","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.07422","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":"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.2606.07422","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5138119817","display_name":"Yang ZHANG","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhang, Yang","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5138139206","display_name":"Xiao Fei","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Fei, Xiao","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5138159762","display_name":"Amr Mohamed","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Mohamed, Amr","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5138195964","display_name":"Sarah Almeida Carneiro","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Carneiro, Sarah Almeida","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5125192645","display_name":"Mersin Konomi","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Konomi, Mersin","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5138111441","display_name":"Mingmeng Geng","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Geng, Mingmeng","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5036043916","display_name":"Ahmed Asaad","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Asaad, Ahmed","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5038162261","display_name":"Guokan Shang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shang, Guokan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5138150414","display_name":"Michalis Vazirgiannis","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Vazirgiannis, Michalis","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/T10467","display_name":"Psychometric Methodologies and Testing","score":0.16009999811649323,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1803","display_name":"Management Science and Operations Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/18","display_name":"Decision Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10467","display_name":"Psychometric Methodologies and Testing","score":0.16009999811649323,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1803","display_name":"Management Science and Operations Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/18","display_name":"Decision Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.12349999696016312,"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/T10286","display_name":"Information Retrieval and Search Behavior","score":0.09730000048875809,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"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/cultural-knowledge","display_name":"Cultural knowledge","score":0.6075999736785889},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/local-language","display_name":"Local language","score":0.5203999876976013},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/face","display_name":"Face (sociological concept)","score":0.4729999899864197},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/language-proficiency","display_name":"Language proficiency","score":0.45089998841285706},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/key","display_name":"Key (lock)","score":0.43970000743865967},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cultural-diversity","display_name":"Cultural diversity","score":0.42989999055862427},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/raw-data","display_name":"Raw data","score":0.40549999475479126}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2994055011","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q210272","display_name":"Cultural knowledge","level":2,"score":0.6075999736785889},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777319359","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6664444","display_name":"Local language","level":2,"score":0.5203999876976013},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779304628","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3503480","display_name":"Face (sociological concept)","level":2,"score":0.4729999899864197},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778883600","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2390977","display_name":"Language proficiency","level":2,"score":0.45089998841285706},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26517878","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q228039","display_name":"Key (lock)","level":2,"score":0.43970000743865967},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C125209646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1338878","display_name":"Cultural diversity","level":2,"score":0.42989999055862427},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C132964779","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2110223","display_name":"Raw data","level":2,"score":0.40549999475479126},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.3880999982357025},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41895202","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8162","display_name":"Linguistics","level":1,"score":0.38670000433921814},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C171041071","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36870","display_name":"First language","level":2,"score":0.3424000144004822},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77805123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161272","display_name":"Social psychology","level":1,"score":0.3345000147819519},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.3278999924659729},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776291881","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6423378","display_name":"Knowledge level","level":2,"score":0.31619998812675476},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C49876356","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7002651","display_name":"Neuroscience of multilingualism","level":2,"score":0.30410000681877136},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C514011633","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1428168","display_name":"Traditional knowledge","level":3,"score":0.29670000076293945},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.29510000348091125},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780035574","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30081","display_name":"Multilingualism","level":2,"score":0.2838999927043915},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2992975276","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11042","display_name":"Cultural background","level":4,"score":0.26260000467300415},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C169536714","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1666159","display_name":"Cultural competence","level":2,"score":0.25999999046325684},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C180747234","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23373","display_name":"Cognitive psychology","level":1,"score":0.2556000053882599}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2606.07422","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.07422","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":"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.2606.07422","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.07422","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":"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":0.8598014116287231,"display_name":"Quality Education","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/4"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Large":[0],"language":[1,56,91,197,202],"models":[2],"are":[3],"increasingly":[4],"used":[5],"to":[6],"answer":[7],"culturally":[8],"grounded":[9],"questions":[10,41,74],"across":[11],"languages,":[12],"yet":[13],"it":[14],"remains":[15],"unclear":[16],"whether":[17],"local":[18,28,80,94,141,187,196],"cultural":[19,47,73,184,188],"knowledge":[20,48,60,112,189],"is":[21,155],"better":[22],"accessed":[23],"through":[24,194],"English":[25,125,132],"or":[26,169],"the":[27,195],"language.":[29],"Existing":[30],"evaluations":[31],"face":[32],"two":[33],"key":[34],"limitations:":[35],"many":[36],"rely":[37],"on":[38,71,127],"parallel":[39],"template-based":[40],"that":[42,175],"may":[43,190],"not":[44,180],"reflect":[45],"how":[46],"naturally":[49],"appears,":[50],"and":[51,79,96,117],"raw":[52,159],"accuracy":[53,160],"conflates":[54],"general":[55],"proficiency":[57,109,139],"with":[58,66,89,99],"language-conditioned":[59],"access.":[61,113],"We":[62],"address":[63],"these":[64],"issues":[65],"a":[67,100,123,144],"controlled":[68],"framework":[69],"built":[70],"real-world":[72],"collected":[75],"from":[76,110],"regional":[77],"benchmarks":[78],"sources.":[81],"By":[82],"crossing":[83],"question":[84],"type":[85],"(culture-agnostic":[86],"vs.":[87,93],"culture-specific)":[88],"query":[90],"(English":[92],"language),":[95],"estimating":[97],"ability":[98],"shared":[101],"1PL":[102],"item":[103],"response":[104],"theory":[105],"model,":[106],"we":[107,121],"separate":[108],"localized":[111],"Across":[114],"13":[115],"locales":[116],"roughly":[118],"80":[119],"models,":[120],"find":[122],"consistent":[124],"advantage":[126,147,154],"culture-agnostic":[128],"questions,":[129],"indicating":[130],"stronger":[131],"proficiency.":[133,203],"However,":[134],"after":[135],"accounting":[136],"for":[137,165],"this":[138],"gap,":[140],"languages":[142],"show":[143],"positive":[145],"knowledge-access":[146],"in":[148,158],"nearly":[149],"all":[150],"locale-model":[151],"settings.":[152],"This":[153],"often":[156],"masked":[157],"but":[161,198],"becomes":[162],"more":[163,192],"visible":[164],"frontier,":[166],"regionally":[167],"aligned,":[168],"language-adapted":[170],"models.":[171],"Our":[172],"results":[173],"suggest":[174],"weaker":[176,183],"local-language":[177],"performance":[178],"does":[179],"necessarily":[181],"imply":[182],"knowledge;":[185],"rather,":[186],"be":[191],"accessible":[193],"hidden":[199],"by":[200],"limited":[201]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-28T07:46:37.118299","created_date":"2026-06-09T00:00:00"}
