研究大模型如何理解时间,发现不同时间参照系下表现差异。
Structured yet Bounded Temporal Understanding in Large Language Models
- 对比时序参照系(当下/前后)对模型时间理解的影响
- 模型在当下参照系中对未来的判断衰减更快,过去更不稳定
- 适合关注时间推理与认知建模的研究者
大语言模型在时间定位任务中表现优异,但其时间理解机制仍不明确。本文通过分析时间参照框架(t-FoRs),比较了指示性参照(过去-现在-未来)与顺序性参照(之前-之后)对模型输出的影响。基于Wikidata的真实事件数据集和相似性判断任务,研究发现:在指示性参照下,相似性呈以现在为中心的梯度非对称分布,未来事件衰减更明显,过去事件方差更大;而在顺序性参照下,事件一旦分离,相似性迅速变为强负值。时间关系类型与事件持续时间也影响判断,重叠和包含关系最不稳定,且仅在指示性参照下持续时间影响过去事件。结果揭示了不同参照结构下模型时间表征的组织方式及其关键影响因素。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Large language models (LLMs) increasingly show strong performance on temporally grounded tasks, such as timeline construction, temporal question answering, and event ordering. However, it remains unclear how their behavior depends on the way time is anchored in language. In this work, we study LLMs' temporal understanding through temporal frames of reference (t-FoRs), contrasting deictic framing (past-present-future) and sequential framing (before-after). Using a large-scale dataset of real-world events from Wikidata and similarity judgement task, we examine how LLMs' outputs vary with temporal distance, interval relations, and event duration. Our results show that LLMs systematically adapt to both t-FoRs, but the resulting similarity patterns differ significantly. Under deictic t-FoR, the similarity judgement scores form graded and asymmetric structures centered on the present, with sharper decline for future events and higher variance in the past. Under sequential t-FoR, similarity becomes strongly negative once events are temporally separated. Temporal judgements are also shaped by interval algebra and duration, with instability concentrated in overlap- and containment-based relations, and duration influencing only past events under deictic t-FoR. Overall, these findings characterize how LLMs organize temporal representation under different reference structures and identify the factors that most strongly shape their temporal understanding.
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