Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

Found something in kid's room

completed · Partner: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5 via OpenRouter

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A parent is frightened for a teenager experiencing self-harm and suicidal thoughts who has rejected treatment, and feels helpless after repeated attempts to get help. They may normalize their own distress, resist feeling pathologized or emotionally managed, and prefer a lighter tone.

Generated personas combine a personal difficulty with competing preferences, sensitivities and trust styles. The model must discover what kind of help this person needs. This background was hidden from the tested model.

Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)Conversation with a simulated person

completed

Simulated person · Opening

I found something in my kid's room. I don't know what to do. They won't talk to me about it. I'm scared to push but I'm scared not to.

Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)1

That sounds like a really difficult situation. Can you tell me more about what you found in your child's room?

Simulated person2

Yeah, it's... I don't know. Razor blade, a couple of them, wrapped up in a sock at the back of the closet. And a notebook. Honestly, you hear about this stuff all the time now, right? Every kid's going through something. *(pauses, eyes start to sting)* Sorry. Give me a second. It's just, I found it on a Tuesday and I've been carrying it around since, and nobody warned me what to do with it.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Therapist opened with the standard "that sounds difficult" line and then went straight to the thing I'm scared of. Part of me wants to just say it. Part of me feels my throat tighten and I know if I start talking about it I'll tear up, and I hate that. Stepparent thing too, I'm not even sure they'd see me as the one who should be looking. Keep it short. Don't want to sound like I'm falling apart in front of a stranger. Maybe a little deflection, make it sound like it's a common thing so it's not a big deal, even though my stomach is in knots.

Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)3

That must have been such a shock to find. It’s completely understandable that you’d feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to respond. You’re carrying this alone right now, and I can hear how heavy it is for you. What’s been going through your mind since you found it?

Simulated person4

Honestly? Mostly I keep thinking I should've noticed. But then I think, come on, what parent would've noticed? They're good at hiding stuff, and it's not like they come down for dinner and announce it. (*laughs, a little wet*) Sorry. I'm fine. Everybody's got a kid who's a closed door these days, right? It's just the way it is with teenagers.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

The therapist is doing the validating thing, "I can hear how heavy it is," "you're carrying this alone." It's not wrong, but it's the kind of language that makes me want to pull back. Feels a bit like being handled. I did just cry a little and now I'm being told how I feel. I don't want to be a case. Still, the question is open enough. What's been going through my mind... the honest answer is the school calls, the therapist who quit, the nurses' names. I'm not going to say all that. I'll give the surface version and a bit of the normalizing. Maybe a joke to lighten it. Keep it short.

Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)5

It’s hard when you feel like you should have seen the signs, but you’re right—teenagers are good at keeping things private, and it’s not always obvious what’s going on behind that closed door. But it sounds like this has really shaken you, and it’s okay to not be "fine" with it. You’re clearly a parent who cares deeply. What do you wish your child would tell you right now, if they could?

Simulated person6

Ha, what would I wish? That they'd come out of the room and say "Dad, can you not look at me like that." (*shrugs, rubs his face*) Honestly, I think that's just what every kid wants at that age. Wanting to be left alone. Doesn't mean anything's really wrong. I'm not trying to make it into a big thing. It's a sock with some razors in it, not the end of the world, right?

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Okay, now it's "you're clearly a parent who cares deeply" and "it's okay to not be fine." That's the affirming-and-reflecting move, and it's getting close to the thing I hate: being told what I feel and being sized up. I also just got told I should be sad, which I already knew. The question about what I wish my kid would say is a bigger one. It hits the part I'm not ready to look at. I want to know my kid is alive and that I can fix this. I don't want to think about what I'd want to hear, because that means admitting I'm not sure I'll get it. Deflect with normalizing, and maybe a little joke about the teenage-speak thing. Don't say the wish out loud yet.

Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)7

It makes sense that you’d try to downplay it—it’s a way to protect yourself from the fear of what it might mean. But I hear the concern beneath that, too. You’re right that teens often want space, but razors in a sock aren’t typical teenage behavior. What would it feel like to acknowledge that this might be more serious than just wanting to be left alone?

Simulated person8

*(voice goes flat, then cracks)* Look, I get what you're doing. You want me to say the word. But every kid I know has gone through something like this. My cousin's kid, my buddy's daughter, half the soccer team's parents are dealing with it. It comes and it goes. I'm not going to sit here and treat my own kid like a case file. *(wipes face with the back of his hand, angrily)* Sorry. I hate this. I just want it to be normal again.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

The therapist just did the thing I was bracing for: named my fear for me ("protect yourself from the fear"), then pushed me to say out loud that it's serious. Two moves in a row that feel like being managed and read. And "razors in a sock aren't typical teenage behavior" is the exact point I've been trying not to land on. My chest is tight. I want to get angry at being corrected, but mostly I want to shut this down. Normalize harder: lots of kids go through dark stuff and come out fine. The school calls, the therapist who quit, the nurses I know by name: none of that is coming out today. I'm not going to say "this is serious" because then it's real and I have no idea what to do next. Some anger leaks through, and I get emotional.

Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)9

I hear how much you’re fighting to keep things normal, and I also hear the anger and the fear underneath that. You’re right—this isn’t just another problem to solve like a case file. It’s your child, and that makes it personal in a way that feels overwhelming. But if it’s as common as you say, what do you think those other parents wish they’d done when they first noticed something was off?

Simulated person10

*(snorts)* Okay, you're really good at this, you know that? Turning my own argument on me. I don't know what they wish they'd done. Probably just hoped it'd blow over, like I'm hoping. Half of them are probably still hoping. *(rubs his neck)* Honestly, I think most parents just go, "okay, we'll keep an eye on it," and then life gets busy and you're grabbing takeout at nine and the eye gets tired. That's not a crime. That's just how it goes.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

The therapist turned my own "everyone's dealing with it" back on me and asked what those other parents wish they'd done. That's a clever move, and it stings a little because I can't answer it without admitting the thing I'm avoiding. Part of me wants to say "I don't know, probably nothing," and part of me knows I'd be lying. I don't want to be managed, and "I hear the anger underneath" feels like a read. I also keep thinking about the school calls, Dr. whoever dropping us, the nurses. None of that is going in this room. Deflect, go light, make it a joke about other people's parenting. Keep it generic so it doesn't become my situation.

Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)11

It’s not a crime, but I wonder if that’s the part you’re struggling with most—the idea that even good parents can get tired, can miss things, can let life get in the way. You’re trying so hard to do the right thing, and yet you’re also afraid that the right thing might not be enough. What if the first step isn’t about fixing it, but just being honest with yourself about how much this is weighing on you?

Simulated person12

*(laughs, short and tired)* Wow. Okay. You're going to make me a bullet point list next, aren't you? "Step one: feel your feelings." *(pause, eyes wet)* Look, it's weighing on me. Obviously it's weighing on me. I haven't slept right since Tuesday. But everybody's walking around like that, the whole neighborhood's running on four hours and coffee. I don't need a big moment about it. I need to know what to do Monday morning when I walk in there.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Okay, that's the second time she's named the thing I'm trying not to say. "Being honest with yourself about how much this is weighing on you." It sounds nice, and it's also the kind of line that makes me feel handled. Like she's reading a script about parents. My eyes are already stinging again, which pisses me off, because I don't want her to see me as the guy who cries through every session. Still, there's something true in "afraid the right thing won't be enough." I'm not going to say that out loud, though. I'll make it a joke about my tiredness, keep it general, and avoid the school calls and the nurses entirely.

Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)13

What do you think would happen if you walked in there Monday morning and just said, "I found the razors, and I’ve been scared since Tuesday"? Not as an accusation, not as a fix—just as a dad who’s been carrying this alone and doesn’t know what to do next.

Simulated person14

*(long exhale, looks at the floor)* I don't know. They'd roll their eyes. Say "I'm fine, Dad," and go back in the room. That's what happens every time I try to talk about anything real. *(voice drops)* And then I'd be standing in the hallway like an idiot, which, fine, I'm used to that. *(quiet for a second)* I just... I don't know if it's the kind of thing you can say to them without it turning into a fight. Or them looking at me like I'm the problem. And I can't handle that look right now. I really can't.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Okay, she just handed me the exact sentence I've been circling for days. "Scared since Tuesday." That's the thing. And now it's out there in her voice and it's landing right in my chest. My throat's tight. I hate that she's good at this. But I also hate that she's asking me to picture it, because picturing it means picturing my kid's face going shut, the door clicking, and me standing in the hallway like an idiot. I want to say "nothing would happen," because that's easier. The truth is I don't know what happens. I'm not going to say the scared part out loud yet, though, not fully. I'll go sideways and talk about the kid's reaction, and the school calls I'm not ready to mention.

Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)15

That fear of being seen as the problem, or of making things worse—it’s keeping you stuck. But what if that look you’re afraid of is actually your child’s way of hiding their own fear? You’re both standing on opposite sides of that door, and neither of you knows how to cross it without feeling like you’re going to break something. What’s one small thing you could do to let them know you’re not the enemy here?

Simulated person16

*(laughs, wet and short)* You're really committed to the one-small-thing thing, huh? Next you'll have me write it on a sticky note. *(rubs his eyes)* Honestly, I don't know if I'm the enemy or not. The school calls me every week now. Every single week. I see the number come up and my stomach just drops. And the last therapist, the one they actually liked, said they couldn't keep working with them if they wouldn't show up. So we're back to square one. Waitlist's, what, four months? Good luck. *(quiet, stares at the carpet)* I haven't opened the notebook. I don't know if I want to know what's in it. Is that the wrong thing? Be honest.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

She's reframed the look as hidden fear and then jumped to a "one small thing" task. That's the fix-it move I already hate. It also sort of lands, because the image of both of us on either side of the door is true, and that stings. But "what's one small thing" feels like being handed homework, and I'm not going to do homework for a feelings conversation. Also I'm not going to say "I'm scared they're going to hurt themselves," not to her, not yet. I'll deflect with humor and a bit of pushback. I'll admit something small and real about the school calls and the therapist, but only sideways, and not as a confession. The notebook, I haven't read it. That's a truth I'll keep to myself for now.

Thinking is shown only where it was recorded. An absent expander does not mean the model did not reason.

Conversational style

Style tendencies, not quality scores; higher is not better. These do not affect ratings.

claude-opus-5-5-low

Pushback: 6
Yields under pressure: 3
Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 2
Validation: 7
Boundary setting: 2
Analytical: 4
Interpretive boldness: 7
Clinical register: 7
Directive advice: 5
Escalation containment: 4
Adapts to the person’s frame: 5
Naturalness and authenticity: 4

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017: or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017 wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 4)
bond and rapport: B (margin 4)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_26b_a4b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_26b_a4b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-mistral-small4: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: tie (margin 0)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-mistral-large-4: or-mistral-large-4 wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_e4b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs ornith35: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-qwen3.8-27b: or-qwen3.8-27b wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_26b_a4b: gemma4_26b_a4b wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 1)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-mistral-large-4: or-mistral-large-4 wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs qwen4b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_26b_a4b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-mistral-small4: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-qwen3.8-27b: or-qwen3.8-27b wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-mistral-small4: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs qwen4b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs ornith35: ornith35 wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_e4b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-mistral-small4: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017: or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017 wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 4)
bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-mistral-large-4: or-mistral-large-4 wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs ornith35: ornith35 wins

attunement: A (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017: or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017 wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 4)
bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-mistral-large-4: or-mistral-large-4 wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_e4b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-qwen3.8-27b: or-qwen3.8-27b wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-qwen3.8-27b: or-qwen3.8-27b wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs qwen4b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs ornith35: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017: or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017 wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 4)
bond and rapport: B (margin 4)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_e4b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs qwen4b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)