mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

Reasoning Shapes Alignment: Investigating Cultural Alignment in Large Reasoning Models with Cultural Norms

arXiv 2511.13359 ↗First posted 17 Nov 2025cs.AIcited by 0

On the map: LLM reasoning → Reasoning benchmarks and evaluation

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Abstract (arXiv)

The advanced reasoning capabilities of Large Reasoning Models enable them to thoroughly understand and apply safety policies through deliberate thought processes, thereby improving the models' safety. Beyond safety, these models must also be able to reflect the diverse range of human values across various cultures. This paper presents the Cultural Norm-based Cultural Alignment (CNCA) framework, which enables models to leverage their powerful reasoning ability to align with cultural norms. Specifically, we propose three methods to automatically mine cultural norms from limited survey data and explore ways to effectively utilize these norms for improving cultural alignment. Two alignment paradigms are examined: an in-context alignment method, where cultural norms are explicitly integrated into the user context, and a fine-tuning-based method, which internalizes norms through enhanced Chain-of-Thought training data. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods, highlighting that models with stronger reasoning capabilities benefit more from cultural norm mining and utilization. Our findings emphasize the potential for reasoning models to better reflect diverse human values through culturally informed alignment strategies.

Key facts. No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Reasoning benchmarks and evaluation, one of 17 directions in LLM reasoning. Builds on 20 of its 37 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 17 Nov 2025.

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20 of 37 references.

Closest ancestors · 2

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2025From System 1 to System 2: A Survey of Reasoning Large Language Models24 Feb
  2. 2024DeepSeek-V3 Technical Report27 Dec

Other references · 18

  1. 2024The Llama 3 Herd of Modelscited by 14,715
  2. 2021LoRA: Low-Rank Adaptation of Large Language Modelscited by 14,380
  3. 2025DeepSeek-R1: Incentivizing Reasoning Capability in LLMs via Reinforcement Learningcited by 6,330
  4. 2024Qwen2.5 Technical Reportcited by 4,942
  5. 2022Constitutional AI: Harmlessness from AI Feedbackcited by 3,050
  6. 2022Least-to-Most Prompting Enables Complex Reasoning in Large Language Modelscited by 1,407
  7. 2024OpenAI o1 System Cardcited by 1,244
  8. 2025Kimi k1.5: Scaling Reinforcement Learning with LLMscited by 1,210
  9. 2024Qwen2.5-Math Technical Report: Toward Mathematical Expert Model via Self-Improvementcited by 1,090
  10. 2024Training Language Models to Self-Correct via Reinforcement Learningcited by 426
  11. 2024Deliberative Alignment: Reasoning Enables Safer Language Modelscited by 308
  12. 2023Having Beer after Prayer? Measuring Cultural Bias in Large Language Modelscited by 153
6 more
  1. 2023Cultural Alignment in Large Language Models: An Explanatory Analysis Based on Hofstede's Cultural Dimensionscited by 112
  2. 2024In-Context Principle Learning from Mistakescited by 44
  3. 2023Not All Countries Celebrate Thanksgiving: On the Cultural Dominance in Large Language Modelscited by 43
  4. 2024Self-Pluralising Culture Alignment for Large Language Modelscited by 31
  5. 2024CulturalBench: A Robust, Diverse, and Challenging Cultural Benchmark by Human-AI CulturalTeamingcited by 30
  6. 2024Retrieved In-Context Principles from Previous Mistakescited by 5

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  1. 2025Identity-Aware Large Language Models require Cultural Reasoning
  2. 2026CultureForest: Understanding and Evaluating Cultural Norm Grounded Reasoning in LLMs
  3. 2026Mind the Gap in Cultural Alignment: Task-Aware Culture Management for Large Language Models
  4. 2025'Too much alignment; not enough culture': Re-balancing cultural alignment practices in LLMs
  5. 2023Sociocultural Norm Similarities and Differences via Situational Alignment and Explainable Textual Entailment
  6. 2025CURE: Cultural Understanding and Reasoning Evaluation - A Framework for "Thick" Culture Alignment Evaluation in LLMs
  7. 2025Diverse Human Value Alignment for Large Language Models via Ethical Reasoning
  8. 2026Whose Norms? Disentangling Cultural and Personal Alignment in Large Language Models