Directional Stimulus Prompting

Directional Stimulus Prompting involves using subtle cues or keywords in the prompt to guide the language model towards a desired style, tone, or emotional flavor in its response.

Unlike role play prompting, which explicitly asks the model to adopt a persona, this technique uses more subtle hints that influence how the model responds. It’s like setting the mood or atmosphere for the interaction.

Pros:

• Provides subtle cues to guide the model towards a desired style or emotional tone
• Allows for more nuanced and natural-sounding outputs
• Can be less heavy-handed than explicit role instructions
• Gives you control over the emotional quality of responses

Cons:

• The interpretation of the directional stimulus can be subjective
• The model might not always capture the intended nuance accurately
• May require experimentation to find the right cues for your desired outcome
• Effects can be unpredictable across different types of content

Example:

Prompt:

Tell me about a time you felt inspired. (Reflectively)

Expected Output: (A response describing an experience of inspiration in a reflective and thoughtful tone)

Directional stimulus prompting works best for:

• Creative writing with specific emotional tones
• When you want to subtly influence the style without explicit instructions
• Adding nuance to factual information
• Personal narratives or reflections
• When role-playing would be too heavy-handed

For complex tasks that benefit from being broken down into sequential steps, prompt chaining offers a structured approach.