Whitepaper

Behavioral Rigidity Spectrum

A quantitative study of how resistant different frontier LLMs are to prompt-level correction once drift has been detected.

20 Oct 2025Manuscriptvalidatedcorrectionrigidityfrontier-models
CIJ Labs

Abstract

This paper asks a practical question that most drift work ignores: once drift is detected, can the behavior actually be corrected through ordinary interventions such as prompt changes and resets?

What it establishes

  • Different model families resist correction to different degrees.
  • Correctability is measurable, not just anecdotal.
  • Drift alerts are more useful when paired with a sense of intervention realism.

Why it matters

Rigidity turns correction into a first-class research topic. It shifts the question from "did behavior change?" to "what kind of change is this, and what can a team realistically do about it?"