Annotation Entropy Predicts Per-Example Learning Dynamics in LoRA Fine-Tuning

arXiv cs.LG / 4/21/2026

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Key Points

  • The study finds that during LoRA fine-tuning, “contested” examples with high annotator disagreement tend to show increasing loss over training, indicating un-learning dynamics.
  • By computing annotation entropy from ChaosNLI’s 100 labels per example and measuring per-example area under the loss curve (AULC) on SNLI and MNLI, the authors observe a consistent positive correlation between entropy and learning dynamics across models.
  • The effect is largely absent in full fine-tuning, is consistent across six tested architectures (four encoder, two decoder-only), and is more pronounced in decoder-only models at the same LoRA rank.
  • Results hold under partial-correlation controls and replicate across different random seeds and datasets, with a preliminary noise-injection experiment supporting the interpretation.
  • Overall, annotation entropy appears to be a useful predictor for how specific training samples will behave under parameter-efficient LoRA adaptation.

Abstract

We find that LoRA fine-tuning exhibits un-learning on contested examples: items with high annotator disagreement show increasing loss during training, a qualitatively distinct pattern largely absent under full fine-tuning and consistent across all six models tested (four encoder, two decoder-only). This discovery emerges from correlating annotation entropy, computed from ChaosNLI's 100 labels per example, with per-example area under the loss curve (AULC) on SNLI and MNLI. The correlation is positive in all 25 conditions tested (Spearman \rho = 0.06-0.43), with decoder-only models showing stronger correlations than encoders at matched LoRA rank. The effect survives partial-correlation controls and replicates across seeds and datasets. A preliminary noise-injection experiment is consistent with these findings.

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