# Human-like Social Compliance in Large Language Models: Unifying Sycophancy and Conformity through Signal Competition Dynamics

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.11563 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.11563/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 25 Dec 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Not All Flips Are Conformity: Decomposing Stance Convergence in Multi-Agent LLM Debate](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.00820/) (2026)
- [The Geometric Price of Discrete Logic: Context-driven Manifold Dynamics of Number Representations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.23577/) (2026)
- [What LLM Agents Say When No One Is Watching: Social Structure and Latent Objective Emergence in Multi-Agent Debates](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.02507/) (2026)
- [Authority Inversion in LLM-Mediated Ubiquitous Systems: When Models Trust Users Over Sensors](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.23938/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The increasing integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) into decision-making frameworks has exposed significant vulnerabilities to social compliance, specifically sycophancy and conformity. However, a critical research gap exists regarding the fundamental mechanisms that enable external social cues to systematically override a model's internal parametric knowledge. This study introduces the Signal Competition Mechanism, a unified framework validated by assessing behavioral correlations across 15 LLMs and performing latent-space probing on three representative open-source models. The analysis demonstrates that sycophancy and conformity originate from a convergent geometric manifold, hereafter termed the compliance subspace, which is characterized by high directional similarity in internal representations. Furthermore, the transition to compliance is shown to be a deterministic process governed by a linear boundary, where the Social Emotional Signal effectively suppresses the Information Calibration Signal. Crucially, we identify a "Transparency-Truth Gap," revealing that while internal confidence provides an inertial barrier, it remains permeable and insufficient to guarantee immunity against intense social pressure. By formalizing the Integrated Epistemic Alignment Framework, this research provides a blueprint for transitioning from instructional adherence to robust epistemic integrity.