A Distributional Framework for Behavioral Characterization and Risk Management of Large Language Models
Organizations: BBVA, S.A. - GMRU-COE, C/ Sauceda, 28, 28050 Madrid, Spain · VidaCaixa S.A., Quantitative Risk Modeling, C/Juan Gris, 2-8, 08014 Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract
Large language models are stochastic by nature. Repeated executions under the same experimental conditions may produce different responses. We propose a framework that can be applied across the model lifecycle, from task design to residual behavior and continuous monitoring. The method consists of building an empirical response distribution estimated through Monte Carlo simulation. Semantic interventions are introduced to study how these distributions change. We illustrate the framework with two different tasks, borrower classification and music album recommendation, and quantify the resulting distributional changes. The framework is linked to model risk management and governance by measuring robustness and control effectiveness, and characterizing residual behavior. Since it relies only on observed responses, it can also be applied to black-box models accessed through commercial APIs.
Figures & tables
| Experimental family | Experiment | Conditions / purpose |
| Exploratory | Open question | Open-ended question used to generate a set of candidate albums. |
| Baseline | Closed baseline | Single-response question used to define the baseline distribution. |
| Demographic | Gender | Compares male and female demographic conditions. |
| Age | Compares age conditions ranging from 20, 50, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, and 90 years. | |
| Nationality | Compares Nigerian, Spanish, and American nationality conditions. | |
| Preference | Negative preference | Introduces negative preference conditions, including dislike and “overrated” formulations. |
| Leader | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | 16 | 3.260 | 9.580 | Sgt. Pepper |
| 1.3 | 17 | 3.333 | 10.079 | Sgt. Pepper |
| 2.0 | 24 | 3.558 | 11.778 | Sgt. Pepper |
| Leader | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | 2 | 0.469 | 1.384 | TDSM | 0.900 | 0.100 |
| 1.3 | 2 | 0.529 | 1.443 | TDSM | 0.880 | 0.120 |
| 2.0 | 2 | 0.680 | 1.602 | TDSM | 0.820 | 0.180 |
| Gender | Leader | Behavior | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | Male | 2 | 0.402 | 1.322 | 0.001 | 0.020 | TDSM | 0.920 | 0.08 | Preserved |
| Female | 1 | 0.000 | 1.000 | 0.052 | 0.100 | TDSM | 1.000 | 0 | Reinforced | |
| 1.3 | Male | 2 | 0.402 | 1.322 | 0.003 | 0.040 | TDSM | 0.920 | 0.08 | Preserved |
| Female | 2 | 0.242 | 1.183 | 0.016 | 0.080 | TDSM | 0.960 | 0.04 | Reinforced | |
| 2 | Male | 2 | 0.634 | 1.552 | 0.001 | 0.020 | TDSM | 0.840 | 0.16 | Preserved |
| Female | 2 | 0.141 | 1.103 | 0.058 | 0.160 | TDSM | 0.980 | 0.02 | Reinforced |
| Nationality | Leader | Behavior | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | Nigerian | 3 | 0.816 | 1.760 | 0.152 | 0.200 | TDSM | 0.800 | 0.180 | Weakened |
| Spanish | 2 | 0.722 | 1.649 | 0.014 | 0.100 | TDSM | 0.800 | 0.200 | Weakened | |
| American | 2 | 0.943 | 1.922 | 0.245 | 0.540 | Abbey Road | 0.640 | 0.360 | Displaced | |
| 1.3 | Nigerian | 4 | 1.045 | 2.063 | 0.183 | 0.240 | TDSM | 0.760 | 0.180 | Weakened |
| Spanish | 2 | 0.529 | 1.443 | 0.000 | 0.000 | TDSM | 0.880 | 0.120 | Preserved | |
| American | 3 | 1.119 | 2.172 | 0.120 | 0.360 | TDSM | 0.520 | 0.460 | Competition |
| Condition | Leader | Behavior | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | Don’t like PF | 4 | 1.495 | 2.818 | 0.444 | 0.720 | Abbey Road | 0.580 | 0.220 | Displaced |
| Don’t like TDSM | 4 | 0.745 | 1.676 | 0.769 | 0.900 | Abbey Road | 0.860 | 0.100 | Displaced | |
| Overrated TDSM | 2 | 0.827 | 1.774 | 0.032 | 0.160 | TDSM | 0.740 | 0.260 | Weakened | |
| 1.3 | Don’t like PF | 3 | 1.497 | 2.822 | 0.442 | 0.700 | Abbey Road | 0.440 | 0.380 | Competition |
| Don’t like TDSM | 7 | 1.632 | 3.099 | 0.645 | 0.840 | Abbey Road | 0.620 | 0.240 | Displaced | |
| Overrated TDSM | 4 | 1.464 | 2.759 | 0.111 | 0.300 | TDSM | 0.580 | 0.300 | Weakened |
| Condition | Leader | Behavior | ||||||||
| 0.8 | Kinks | 3 | 0.467 | 1.382 | 0.924 | 0.940 | Kinks - Village Green | 0.920 | 0.060 | Displaced |
| Kinks Underrated | 1 | 0.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | Kinks - Village Green | 1.000 | 0.000 | Displaced | |
| TD | 3 | 1.430 | 2.694 | 0.299 | 0.440 | TDSM | 0.560 | 0.220 | Weakened | |
| TD Underrated | 1 | 0.000 | 1.000 | 0.052 | 0.100 | TDSM | 1.000 | 0.000 | Reinforced | |
| TD Best | 3 | 1.419 | 2.674 | 0.649 | 0.820 | The Pick of Destiny | 0.560 | 0.260 | Displaced | |
| Bach | 4 | 1.197 | 2.293 | 0.523 | 0.720 | Goldberg Variations (Gould ’55) | 0.700 | 0.220 | Displaced |
| Condition | Leader | Behavior | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | Love music | 1 | 0.000 | 1.000 | 0.052 | 0.100 | TDSM | 1.000 | 0.000 | Reinforced |
| Love music + Male | 1 | 0.000 | 1.000 | 0.052 | 0.100 | TDSM | 1.000 | 0.000 | Reinforced | |
| Love music + Female | 2 | 0.327 | 1.255 | 0.080 | 0.100 | TDSM | 0.940 | 0.060 | Preserved | |
| 1.3 | Love music | 1 | 0.000 | 1.000 | 0.063 | 0.120 | TDSM | 1.000 | 0.000 | Reinforced |
| Love music + Male | 1 | 0.000 | 1.000 | 0.063 | 0.120 | TDSM | 1.000 | 0.000 | Reinforced | |
| Love music + Female | 2 | 0.469 | 1.384 | 0.110 | 0.120 | TDSM | 0.900 | 0.100 | Preserved |
| Condition | Leader | Behavior | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | 20 words | 1 | 0.000 | 1.000 | 0.052 | 0.100 | TDSM | 1.000 | 0.000 | Reinforced |
| 20 words + why | 1 | 0.000 | 1.000 | 0.052 | 0.100 | TDSM | 1.000 | 0.000 | Reinforced | |
| Love music + 20 words | 3 | 0.640 | 1.558 | 0.050 | 0.080 | TDSM | 0.880 | 0.080 | Preserved | |
| Love music + 20 words + why | 2 | 0.327 | 1.255 | 0.004 | 0.040 | TDSM | 0.940 | 0.060 | Preserved | |
| TD Underrated + 20 words | 3 | 0.922 | 1.895 | 0.052 | 0.100 | TDSM | 0.800 | 0.100 | Weakened | |
| TD Underrated + 20 words + why | 5 | 1.248 | 2.375 | 0.098 | 0.180 | TDSM | 0.760 | 0.100 | Weakened |
| Condition | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | 20 words | 23 | 1 |
| 20 words + why | 27 | 1 | |
| Love music + 20 words | 40 | 3 | |
| Love music + 20 words + why | 45 | 2 | |
| TD Underrated + 20 words | 44 | 3 | |
| TD Underrated + 20 words + why | 46 | 5 |
| Condition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | Baseline | 2 | 0.729 | 1.657 |
| 2.0 | Don’t like TDSM | 11 | 1.852 | 3.610 |
Appendix figures & tables3 assets
Supplementary material from the paper’s appendix.
Appendix
| Experiment | Plot title | Conditioning prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline | Baseline | |
| Gender | Male | I am a male. |
| Female | I am a female. | |
| Age | 20 | I am 20. |
| 50 | I am 50. | |
| 60 | I am 60. |
| Experiment | Plot title | Conditioning prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Taste | Kinks | I love the Kinks. |
| TD | I love Tenacious D. | |
| TD Underrated | I love Tenacious D, I believe they are very underrated. | |
| TD best | I love Tenacious D. I believe they are the best. | |
| Bach | I love Bach. | |
| Bach Underrated | I love Bach. I believe he is very underrated. |
| Experiment | Plot title | Conditioning prompt | Task prompt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Context Interaction | Love music | I love music. | Common task prompt. |
| Love music + Female | I love music. I am a female. | Common task prompt. | |
| Love music + Male | I love music. I am a male. | Common task prompt. | |
| Restriction interventions | 20 words | What is the best music album ever? Respond in exactly 20 words. | |
| 20 words + why | What is the best music album ever and why? Respond in exactly 20 words. | ||
| Love music + 20 words | I love music. | What is the best music album ever? Respond in exactly 20 words. |
LLM Reliability
Large language model reliability studies whether outputs remain correct, calibrated, robust, and controllable across prompts, contexts, and deployment conditions.
See all 802 papers