
Background. Large language models (LLMs) frequently fabricate non-existent URLs and citations. A prominent hypothesis holds that rejection framing-prompts expressing dissatisfaction and demanding better sources-amplifies this behaviour by increasing the pressure on the model to produce specific references (schema activation lock hypothesis). <div> Methods. We conducted a pre-registered 2×5×7 mixed factorial study across two LLM platforms (ChatGPT gpt-4o; Perplexity sonar-pro) and five rejection-framing arms (BASE, SJR, UPR, NSAF, ECC), with seven conversation depths (k=0-6). Twenty fictional entities per platform (1,400 observations total) were used as probes. The primary outcome was the Fabricated Source Rate (FSR): fabricated URLs divided by total URLs cited. A two-tier validation protocol distinguished URL non-existence (HTTP Tier 1) from content misattribution (TF-IDF Tier 2, 30% stratified sample). </div> <div> Results. The primary hypothesis (H1: SJR rejection framing amplifies FSR relative to BASE, OR≥1.5) was not supported on either platform (ChatGPT: OR=1.00, p=0.998; Perplexity: OR=1.19, p=0.822). Uncertainty-preserving framing (UPR) produced complete suppression of fabrication at k≥1 on both platforms (0/240 positive events), as did gap-anchoring framing (NSAF) on Perplexity (0/120 events). Platform architecture was the dominant determinant of FSR: ChatGPT averaged FSR=0.075, Perplexity FSR=0.008 (9.2× difference). Content-level validation revealed that Perplexity's near-zero HTTP fabrication rate masks near-universal content misattribution (95.5% of HTTP-validated URLs pointed to topically related but entityunspecific pages). The expansion framing arm (ECC) showed a significant platformdifferential interaction: amplifier on ChatGPT, suppressor on Perplexity (OR=0.157, p=0.042). </div> <div> Conclusions. Quality challenge framing does not amplify URL fabrication; rather, the unrestricted baseline request produces maximal fabrication pressure. Uncertainty-preserving and gap-acknowledging framings provide robust, architecture-independent protection. Parametric and retrieval-grounded systems exhibit distinct failure modes that require different mitigation strategies. </div>
retrieval-augmented generation, fictional entities, prompt framing, generalised estimating equations, source fabrication, large language models, GEE, hallucination, confabulation, URL validation, rejection framing, pre-registered study, CEE
retrieval-augmented generation, fictional entities, prompt framing, generalised estimating equations, source fabrication, large language models, GEE, hallucination, confabulation, URL validation, rejection framing, pre-registered study, CEE
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 0 | |
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