arXiv:2609.15654v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Activation steering has been used to control traits such as honesty, refusal, and sycophancy, yet supportive empathy is evaluated along multiple dimens...
By JuHeon Ha, Byounghan Lee, Yunseo Choi, Kyung-Ah Sohn
The paper introduces FIGS, a dual‑axis evaluation framework for multi‑turn sycophancy that avoids penalizing empathy. It uses a 10‑turn conversational simulator with 500 diverse scenarios to test whether models stay truthful while keeping praise proportional, and whether they show calibrated validation of user feelings. The study finds that current models either drift toward sycophancy or become overly detached, highlighting an unresolved trade‑off in sustained dialogue.
By Sidharth Pulipaka, Ruta Binkyte, Ivaxi Sheth, Sahar Abdelnabi
arXiv:2608.21925v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Emotional Support Conversation (ESC) systems aim to provide holistic support by balancing professional therapeutic competence with natural empathy. How...
By Weichu Liu, Yuxuan Hu, Yirong Sun, Ningning Mao, Ziyun Zhang, Jian Chen, Mingyang Xu, Qishan Zhong, Chengming Li
The study examines whether a decodable "empathy" direction can be used as a reliable causal lever in language models. Using EPITOME-derived facets of Recognition (cognitive) and Resonance (affective) across three instruction‑tuned LLMs, the authors find that while affective steering can partially raise affective scores, cognitive steering shows inconsistent or unmeasurable effects. The results highlight that decodability does not guarantee reliable control, especially for cognitive empathy, and that measurement sensitivity must be explicitly checked.
By Haoran Jisun
arXiv:2609.15089v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Empathetic response generation in spoken dialogue systems requires both accurate emotion perception and appropriate emotion regulation. Grounded in psy...
By Hongyu Jin, Wenda Zhang, Runqiu Fei, Gongping Huang, Mike Conway, Ting Dang
arXiv:2606. 08131v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Conversational AI is increasingly used for advice, interpretation, reassurance, and decision support in contexts where users may be vulnerable, uncertain, or dependent on the system's apparent competence.
By Manuele Reani, Hongyu Tian