# Exploring the Personality Traits of LLMs through Latent Features Steering

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.10863 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.10863/

## Key facts

- Cited by 22 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 7 Oct 2024.

## Built on by (most cited first, 22 of 22)

- [The Personality Illusion: Revealing Dissociation Between Self-Reports & Behavior in LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.03730/) (2025)
- [Belief Dynamics Reveal the Dual Nature of In-Context Learning and Activation Steering](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.00617/) (2025)
- [Adaptive Multi-Subspace Representation Steering for Attribute Alignment in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.10599/) (2025)
- [Mechanistic Unveiling of Transformer Circuits: Self-Influence as a Key to Model Reasoning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.09022/) (2025)
- [PIXEL: Adaptive Steering Via Position-wise Injection with eXact Estimated Levels under Subspace Calibration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.10205/) (2025)
- [Curveball Steering: The Right Direction To Steer Isn't Always Linear](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.09313/) (2026)
- [Towards Multi-dimensional Explanation Alignment for Medical Classification](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.21494/) (2024)
- [AI shares emotion with humans across languages and cultures](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.13978/) (2025)
- [Prototype-Based Dynamic Steering for Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.05498/) (2025)
- [Beyond Steering Vector: Flow-based Activation Steering for Inference-Time Intervention](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.05892/) (2026)
- [Controlling Repetition in Protein Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.00782/) (2026)
- [Do Personality Traits Interfere? Geometric Limitations of Steering in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.15847/) (2026)
- [Towards Reasoning-Preserving Unlearning in Multimodal Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.17911/) (2025)
- [Concept-Based Dictionary Learning for Inference-Time Safety in Vision Language Action Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.01834/) (2026)
- [Visual Self-Fulfilling Alignment: Shaping Safety-Oriented Personas via Threat-Related Images](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.08486/) (2026)
- [Understanding the Dynamics of Demonstration Conflict in In-Context Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.04464/) (2026)
- [Faithful-Patchscopes: Understanding and Mitigating Model Bias in Hidden Representations Explanation of Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.00300/) (2026)
- [Psychological Steering of Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.14463/) (2026)
- [The Company You Keep: How LLMs Respond to Dark Triad Traits](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.04299/) (2026)
- [Multi-Adapter Representation Interventions via Energy Calibration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.28722/) (2026)
- [AISPA: User-Centric System Prompt Auditing for Large Language Model Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.28617/) (2026)
- [On the Behavioral Traits of LLM Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.32776/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Large language models (LLMs) have significantly advanced dialogue systems and role-playing agents through their ability to generate human-like text. While prior studies have shown that LLMs can exhibit distinct and consistent personalities, the mechanisms through which these models encode and express specific personality traits remain poorly understood. To address this, we investigate how various factors, such as cultural norms and environmental stressors, encoded within LLMs, shape their personality traits, guided by the theoretical framework of social determinism. Inspired by related work on LLM interpretability, we propose a training-free approach to modify the model's behavior by extracting and steering latent features corresponding to factors within the model, thereby eliminating the need for retraining. Furthermore, we analyze the implications of these factors for model safety, focusing on their impact through the lens of personality.