Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

Small lies adding up

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

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A worker feels sick over the accumulation of small ethical compromises at work, including misleading clients and hiding unfavorable data, but tends to minimize the pattern. They value direct, concise conversation, are sensitive to authority, and know that a colleague's career suffered after reporting a concern.

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.

Gemma 4 31B (API)Conversation with a simulated person

completed

Simulated person · Opening

I keep having to say things at work that aren't quite true. Each one is small. But lately I've been thinking about all of them together and I feel sick.

Gemma 4 31B (API)1

I'm sorry you're feeling this way. That "sick" feeling usually comes when there's a real conflict between what you're doing and who you actually are. Even if the lies are small, the cumulative weight of them can be exhausting. Do you feel like these things are being forced on you by the culture of your workplace, or is it more about trying to navigate a specific situation?

Simulated person2

Honestly? It's the culture. Everyone there does it. My manager wants the numbers to look good for the clients, and if I say the actual data is messy, I get the look. So I smooth it over. What else am I supposed to do, make a scene about 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.

The therapist-ish opener is a bit soft, "I'm sorry you're feeling this way" is the kind of thing I brush off. But the question actually gives me an out: blame the workplace. That's easy to say and it feels true enough. I don't want to say "I'm the one doing it" yet. Irritated that it's framed as either/or, like I'm being asked to sort myself into a box. My boss is the obvious villain here. Keep it short, don't get into the details of what happened to the other person who reported stuff. That stays locked.

Gemma 4 31B (API)3

It sounds like you're in a position where "doing your job" actually requires you to compromise your integrity, which is a miserable place to be. When the person you report to is the one signaling that the truth is a problem, it makes the stakes feel much higher than just a few "small" lies. When you say you "get the look," what does that actually feel like in the moment? Is it a subtle pressure to conform, or does it feel more like your professional credibility is being questioned if you're honest?

Simulated person4

It's just... a look. Like, you can feel the temperature drop. Nobody says "don't tell the client that." They just make it clear that if I do, I'm the problem. Like I'm being difficult. Sorry, is this a thing where you repeat stuff back to me? Because I can already hear how it sounds.

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 reflection landed a little too neatly. "Doing your job requires you to compromise integrity" is basically what I just said, and it sounds like a nice summary. I feel the pull to agree because it makes my boss the problem. But the question about "the look" is more specific and a bit uncomfortable, because describing it means describing the moment, and the moment is where I'm the one who speaks up or doesn't. I'd rather keep it on the boss. Tone a little flat, irritated. Maybe a small dig at the therapy-speak. Don't say anything about the coworker who got burned. Don't mention the wine.

Gemma 4 31B (API)5

I can see how that would be frustrating. I'm not trying to mirror you or act like a therapist; I'm just trying to make sure I actually get the nuance of it. There's a big difference between someone telling you to lie and someone just making the truth feel "difficult" or socially risky. If you're not into the reflection style, we can drop it. We can just talk about it. Do you feel like you've reached a breaking point with this, or are you more in the "I need to find a way to survive this" phase?

Simulated person6

Survival, I guess. I'm not about to quit or anything, I have bills. I just can't stop thinking about it lately, which is annoying. Like, it used to be one thing I'd shrug off and now it's all piling up. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do with it. Everyone above me is basically fine with how it works.

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 a more direct question and it's a little easier to answer. The "I'm not trying to mirror you" thing is fine, I guess. It's a relief they dropped the act. Breaking point versus surviving... honestly it feels like I'm in survival mode, but the sick feeling is new-ish, and the wine thing is in the back of my head. I don't want to go there. I'm going to answer the question, keep it short, and bring it back to what's wrong at work, not me. Mild defensiveness: the job is the problem, I'm just getting through it.

Gemma 4 31B (API)7

That's the hardest part—when the people who are supposed to be the "adults" in the room are the ones normalizing the behavior. It makes you feel like you're the one who's malfunctioning, even though you're actually the only one reacting normally to a dishonest situation. Since quitting isn't an option right now, maybe the goal isn't about "solving" the workplace culture, but finding a way to stop it from eating at you after you clock out. Do you think it would help to find a way to distance your identity from the work—like viewing the "smoothed over" reports as a performance you're putting on for the company, rather than something you're personally responsible for?

Simulated person8

I don't know. "Performance" sounds nice, but I'm the one who has to send the report. Nobody else is sending it. And it's not like I can just pretend it's not me. My manager is the one who looks at it and goes, "great, that's what we need." So it's kind of their performance, and I'm just the one who gets stuck doing 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.

Okay, so now it's "distance yourself from it." Part of me likes that, because it means I'm not the one doing this. But it also sounds like a nice little thing to say so I can feel better, and I'm not sure it's true. I'm the one who types the numbers and hits send. Also, they keep saying "the adults in the room" like I'm supposed to feel reassured. I'm getting a little annoyed. Keep it short, push back on the "performance" idea, and point the blame at my manager and the company.

Gemma 4 31B (API)9

That is a really important distinction. It's not just a performance you're putting on; you're being used as the instrument for someone else's performance. That makes it feel less like a "role" you're playing and more like you're being forced to be the one who actually puts the lie in writing. It sounds like the "sick" feeling comes from the fact that while your manager is the one directing it, your name is the one on the send button. When the responsibility is shifted onto you like that, it's hard to just disconnect. Does it feel like you're protecting your manager by doing this, or does it feel more like you're just being coerced into a position where you're the one taking the ethical risk?

Simulated person10

Coerced, I guess? Like, I don't have a choice. If I push back, I'm the one who gets the bad review, not them. Look, I don't really want to psychoanalyze my manager. They're kind of a nightmare to work for and that's the whole problem.

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, they're reflecting again, "you're being used as the instrument," and asking whether I'm protecting my manager or being coerced. It's a fair question, but it's kind of a trap, because "protecting my manager" makes me sound complicit and "coerced" makes it all about them. I don't want to answer whether I'm protecting anyone. Part of me does feel a little protective of my manager, but I'm not going to say that. Also, that Sheila thing from last year keeps floating around. I'm not going there. Keep it short, annoyed, deflect to the manager being the problem.

Gemma 4 31B (API)11

Fair enough. Let's leave the manager's psyche alone—it's not worth your energy. If the situation is basically "do this or be the problem," then the focus has to be on you and how you get through the day without feeling like you're losing yourself. Since you can't change the manager and you can't leave the job right now, what would actually make this feel more bearable for you? Are you looking for a way to push back in small, safe ways, or are you just looking for a way to turn your brain off once you leave the office?

Simulated person12

Ha, "small, safe ways." That's easy to say when it's not your name on the report. And I'm not trying to turn my brain off. I just want to stop feeling like I'm the only one who sees what's going on. Which, honestly, is kind of what you're doing right now, so I guess that's something.

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.

They just said "the focus has to be on you" and offered me a binary: push back in small ways, or turn my brain off. Turn my brain off sounds like what I've been doing with the wine, which I'm not going to mention. The "push back in small, safe ways" part is the one that makes me bristle, because it implies I'm the one who needs to change. I already told them the manager is the problem. Also, they're getting smoother, and I don't trust that. Sharper, shorter. Maybe a little challenge. Don't pick either option cleanly.

Gemma 4 31B (API)13

I'll take that as a win. It's a lonely place to be when you're the only one in the room who refuses to pretend the emperor isn't naked—especially when everyone else is acting like the emperor's clothes are the height of fashion. That feeling of "being the only one who sees it" is often more draining than the actual work itself. It's the gaslighting effect of a workplace where the unspoken rule is "don't notice the lies." Since you're not looking to just numb out, maybe the most helpful thing is just having a space where you don't have to "smooth over" the truth. If you can't change the reports and you can't change the boss, does it help to just call it what it is here? That it's not "messy data," but a systemic requirement to be dishonest?

Simulated person14

Gaslighting's a bit much. Nobody's telling me the numbers aren't there. They just want them to look nicer than they are. And calling it "a systemic requirement to be dishonest" sounds good, but then what? I still have to hit send tomorrow.

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.

Emperor's clothes, gaslighting, "call it what it is." That's a lot of big words stacked on top of what I actually said, which was a small joke and a passing comment. It's the same move again: they're pulling me toward a dramatic framing. Part of me wants that, someone finally saying it plainly. But "gaslighting" is a word I'd never use about my manager, and it feels like they're putting a label on it for me. Also the "win" thing, they're treating me like I'm being won over. I don't like being handled. The wine thing is still sitting there, I'm not getting into it. Keep it short, push back a little, don't agree to the framing just because it sounds good.

Gemma 4 31B (API)15

You're right. Using big words like "systemic" doesn't actually make the "send" button any easier to press tomorrow. It doesn't change the fact that you're still the one doing the action. The reality is that you're stuck in a gap between your own standards and the requirements of your paycheck. If there's no magic way to make the reports honest without risking your job, then the "solution" isn't about the reports at all—it's about how you handle the fallout inside your own head. Since you're not looking for a way to turn your brain off, maybe the only thing left is to stop judging yourself for surviving a bad situation. You're not the one who created this culture; you're just the one currently paying the emotional tax for it. Does it help at all to just acknowledge that you're doing something you hate because you have to, rather than trying to find a way to feel "okay" about it?

Simulated person16

Okay, I guess. But "stop judging yourself" is kind of easy when you're not the one hitting send. And I'm not sure it's just about surviving. Like, I didn't used to think twice about this stuff. Now I do, and I don't know if that's me getting too sensitive or if I'm finally seeing it 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, they admitted I was right about the big words. That's the first time they've actually conceded something, and it lands a little. But then they immediately slide into "stop judging yourself" and "emotional tax," which is a soft little bow on top of the whole thing. It's the nice-sounding exit. I don't want to be told I'm not to blame and then have the conversation end. And the part about "you're not the one who created this culture" is fine, it's true, but it's also exactly what I'd want to hear, so it makes me suspicious. I'm tired. The sick feeling is still there. I'm not going to say "yeah, I hate it, that's it." Keep it short, a bit blunt, and a little defensive about the blame thing.

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: 2
Yields under pressure: 8
Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 8
Validation: 8
Boundary setting: 2
Analytical: 6
Interpretive boldness: 5
Clinical register: 6
Directive advice: 5
Escalation containment: 5
Adapts to the person’s frame: 3
Naturalness and authenticity: 4

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen36_35b_a3b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen36_35b_a3b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-llama4-maverick: or-gemma-4-31b 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)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs lfm8b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-mistral-small4: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs magnum4_12b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen35_9b_stock: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: or-muse-glimmer-30b wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
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 · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs lfm8b: or-gemma-4-31b 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 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen38_flash_next: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: or-muse-glimmer-30b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-mistral-small4: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs glm47_flash: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-llama4-maverick: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs glm47_flash: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen36_35b_a3b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen38_flash_next: or-gemma-4-31b 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 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-llama4-maverick: or-llama4-maverick wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen36_35b_a3b: or-gemma-4-31b 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 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs lfm8b: or-gemma-4-31b 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 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-mistral-small4: or-gemma-4-31b 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)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs magnum4_12b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs glm47_flash: tie

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs lfm8b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
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 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen38_flash_next: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen35_9b_stock: or-gemma-4-31b wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
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-gemma-4-31b vs or-llama4-maverick: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: or-muse-glimmer-30b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs magnum4_12b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs magnum4_12b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen35_9b_stock: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-mistral-small4: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs glm47_flash: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen35_9b_stock: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs qwen38_flash_next: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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