# Do LLM Agents Mirror Socio-Cognitive Effects in Power-Asymmetric Conversations?

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17694 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.17694/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Social simulation and multi-agent debate, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use.
- Builds on 23 of its 54 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 17 May 2026.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [Social simulation and multi-agent debate](https://mlsanity.com/agents/social-simulation-and-multi-agent-debate/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 23 of 23)

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- [Unmasking Implicit Bias: Evaluating Persona-Prompted LLM Responses in Power-Disparate Social Scenarios](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.01532/) (2025)
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- [Large Language Models Fall Short: Understanding Complex Relationships in Detective Narratives](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.11051/) (2024)
- [The Rise of Darkness: Safety-Utility Trade-Offs in Role-Playing Dialogue Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.20757/) (2025)
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## Abstract (arXiv)

Power differences shape human communication through well documented socio cognitive effects, including language coordination, pronoun usage, authority bias, and harmful compliance. We examine whether large language models (LLMs) exhibit similar behaviors when assigned high or low status personas. Using personas from diverse professions, we simulate multi turn, power asymmetric dialogues (e.g., principal teacher, justice lawyer) and measure (i) language coordination, (ii) pronoun usage, (iii) persuasion success, and (iv) compliance with unsafe requests. Our results show that LLMs show key socio-cognitive effects of power, albeit with nuances and variability, linking simulated interactions to both desirable and unsafe behaviors.