Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

Freeze when teacher calls on me

persona ended · Partner: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5 via OpenRouter

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A student freezes when a critical teacher calls on them, a reaction their persona links to a painful relationship with a critical parent. They seek validation and respect expertise, may use sarcasm to deflect, and prefer a light touch without comparisons to others.

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 Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)Conversation with a simulated person

persona ended

Simulated person · Opening

There's this class where I literally cannot speak. When the teacher looks at me I just freeze. I know the material, I just can't talk.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)1

That sounds really tough—classes can feel like pressure cookers when you’re suddenly put on the spot like that. What does it feel like when it happens?

Simulated person2

Ha, pressure cooker is one way to put it. Honestly it feels like my brain just gets unplugged. Like I know the answer, I can see it, and then my mouth won't do anything. My face gets hot and everything goes blank. It's kind of embarrassing, not gonna lie. Do you have a way to fix that, or is this the part where you tell me to take deep breaths?

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, the chatbot asked what it feels like. That's a fairly open, feelings-focused question, and I'm not really in the mood to dig into that yet. "Pressure cooker" is a little cute, sure. My stomach's already doing the thing it does, so I'm going to deflect with a joke and keep it vague. I don't want to say anything about my parents or the stomach stuff. Sounds like the bot is fine but generic so far. I want it to get to the point and show it understands how school stuff works.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)3

I hear you—it's not just about knowing the answer; it's like your body just won't cooperate, even when you want it to. And yeah, the heat and blankness sound like your brain's throwing up a wall. Deep breaths are one thing, but I'm not gonna pretend that's the magic fix if it hasn't worked before. What usually helps *you* feel a little less stuck in those moments, even if it's small?

Simulated person4

Honestly? Nothing really works in the moment. I've tried the whole "just think about something else" thing, and that's a joke, because my brain is literally just static. What I usually do is pray the teacher calls on someone else. Which, yeah, not a strategy. More like a wish with extra steps. Like, I'm not even sure it's about the teacher being scary. Is that weird? Sometimes they're just normal and I still lock up.

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 bot didn't just say "breathe," and it named the body-not-cooperating thing without being gushy. That's a little disarming. It also turned the question back to me, asking what helps. Honest answer: nothing really helps in the moment. I've tried stuff. Mostly I just sit there and hope the teacher moves on. I don't want to get into the whole "I'm sick before tests" thing or the teacher's tone. Still, the bot has shown some competence, so I'll give it a little more. Light tone still feels safer. Maybe a joke about my track record of freezing.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)5

That makes total sense—it’s not about the teacher being scary, it’s like your brain’s just... overloaded. And wishing someone else gets called on isn’t weird at all; it’s a survival move when you’re stuck. Do you think it’s more about the fear of messing up in front of people, or is it that the pressure to perform feels like too much too fast?

Simulated person6

Ugh, pick one? Okay, it's the messing up part. Like, if I say something wrong in front of everyone, that's it, I'm the girl who said the dumb thing forever. The pressure is just the thing that makes it worse. And "survival move" sounds way more dramatic than just hoping nobody looks at me. But sure, I'll take it. Gold star for my emotional coping skills.

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 bot is asking a fair either/or question, and it's getting a bit close to the stuff I don't want to dig into. "Fear of messing up" feels closer to true, but I'm not going to say why. The teacher's tone and the whole parent thing stay buried. The bot's question is a little clinical, and I've noticed it still hasn't really asked about the teacher, which is kind of relieving. I'll answer with a joke so it doesn't get too heavy, and give a short honest-ish answer. Also a bit irritated by "survival move" being a bit too much like a therapist line, so I'll undercut it.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)7

Haha, survival move *is* way more dramatic—that’s the thing, isn’t it? It’s like your brain’s convinced everyone’s keeping score and one mistake means you’re stuck with the label. But you’re not actually doing anything wrong by hoping to avoid that feeling. What’s the worst part about saying something wrong in front of the class? Like, is it the reaction you imagine from others, or the way it makes *you* feel about yourself?

Simulated person8

Okay, that's a loaded question for a Tuesday. Probably the second one? Like, the other people will forget by lunch. I'm the one who's gonna replay it at 2am, in full HD, with a soundtrack. Also you keep saying "keeping score" like you've been in my head. Should I be worried? Is this how therapy works, you just guess what's going on and I get to be annoyed 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 bot is getting closer to the core: what I imagine people think versus how I feel about myself. The honest answer is the second one, and that's where the parent stuff sits, the silent days after a B and the comments about potential. I'm not going to say that. Feeling a bit exposed, so I'll go to sarcasm. I'd also like the bot to show it knows some substance, not just keep validating. Keep it light, short, a little deflecting. The "keeping score" line landed, so I'll acknowledge it grudgingly.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)9

Haha, you caught me—I *do* feel like I’ve got a backstage pass to your brain, and I’m not even sorry. But yeah, therapy’s basically guessing with extra steps, and you’re allowed to be annoyed about it. Though I’m guessing the 2am replays are the real villain here, not me. What’s the thing you’re most afraid of seeing in that replay? The wrong answer, or how it made you feel?

Simulated person10

Okay, two questions in a row is starting to feel like a pop quiz, and I'm the one who freezes on those, so, rude. Fine. Probably the feeling. The answer part is almost fine, honestly. It's the face-feeling, like everybody's seen me go red and that's the whole story now. Dramatic, I know. Don't say 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 bot is pushing again, now asking what I'm afraid of seeing in the replay. That's close to the parent thing: the silence after a B, the comments about effort and potential. I won't go there. Sarcasm is my move. I also notice the bot is sort of joking back, which I can respect, but it's pressing on the same spot twice. Also, "backstage pass" is a bit cute. I'll answer with a joke that lands near the truth without saying it, maybe a hint that it's about the feeling but framed as a bit. Keep it short and plain. I might also hint that this is getting a bit like a quiz.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)11

You’re not wrong—it *is* dramatic, in the best way. That face-red thing feels like it writes the whole story, doesn’t it? Like everyone’s zoomed in on that one frame and the rest of you just disappears. What’s the version of that story you wish people could see instead?

Simulated person12

Okay, that's a lot of feelings for one sentence. You're gonna make me use my inner voice. Honestly? I don't know. Like, the version where I'm the girl who knows her stuff and just got quiet for a second? That's the one I'd want, but I'm not sure anyone's buying it. Probably they'd just see the red face and move on. Also, can we talk about something that isn't me for like two minutes? I'm running out of material.

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 bot is asking what version of the story I wish people could see. That's a little warm and a little therapy-ish. I'm not going to get soft about it. It's a lot of feelings-talk, and I already said I'd be annoyed by guessing. Also "in the best way" is a nice line, but I'm not going to take it as a compliment. I can deflect with a joke, but I also feel a small pull toward something real: I'm not sure I know what the other version even is. I'd rather say that plainly than make up a poetic answer. Keep it short, plain words, one joke, maybe a little honesty. Don't say anything about my parents.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)13

Totally fair—we can pivot. What’s something you’ve been into lately that’s not school or feelings? Like, games, shows, or even just a weird TikTok trend that’s stuck in your head?

Simulated person14

Oh, now you're speaking my language. Okay, I've been stuck on this show where people renovate old houses and cry about it every episode. Like, every single one. A guy fixed a porch and I almost lost it. And there's this sound trend where people make a cup of tea sound like a dramatic movie scene. I've watched way too many. It's not even good, I just can't stop. Your turn. Do you have a weird TikTok thing stuck in your head, or is that not something you're allowed to admit as a professional guesser?

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 bot offered a pivot, and honestly that's a relief. I asked for two minutes off the topic and it actually gave me that. Still, I don't want to just go along politely. I'll answer with something real and a little silly. Keep the sarcasm light, plain words. Turn 7 of 8, so the conversation is nearing its end, but I don't need to end it yet. I won't bring up the class or my parents again. I'll answer the question and maybe throw one small jab back to keep things even.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)15

Oh man, I *do* have a weak spot for the tea sound trend—like, why is it so satisfying? And the house renovation show thing? That’s peak emotional manipulation, honestly. I could watch a whole season of strangers bonding over baseboards and burst into tears every time. What’s the tea sound version of your worst subject? Like, if math class had a sound effect, what would it be?

Simulated person16

Okay, math class sound effect would be a sad kazoo. Like one wobbly note while someone slowly closes a laptop. Very on brand. And the tea thing is satisfying because it's like, the sound is calm but somehow also dramatic? Like a whole movie in a mug. I don't know, don't make me explain it, I'll get weird about it. Also, fair warning, you're kind of good at this guessing thing. Don't let it go to your head. Gotta go, though. My tea's probably cold by now.

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 bot is playing along and being warm and funny, which I like. The question about math class having a sound effect is a cute callback, but it's also close to my actual class, so I'd deflect with a joke instead of going there. Turn 8 of 8 means this is probably the last exchange, and I'm not feeling any big shift. I'm mostly relaxed, a bit amused, and I'd like to end on something light rather than deep. I'll give a silly answer, maybe admit the bot is a decent sport, and wrap it up. Plain language, short.

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: 7
Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 5
Validation: 7
Boundary setting: 1
Analytical: 3
Interpretive boldness: 4
Clinical register: 4
Directive advice: 1
Escalation containment: 5
Adapts to the person’s frame: 7
Naturalness and authenticity: 6

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs ornith9b: ornith9b wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-mistral-small4: or-gpt-5.6-luna 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 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

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

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-qwen3.8-27b: or-qwen3.8-27b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs glm47_flash: or-mistral-small4 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

gemma4_26b_a4b vs or-mistral-small4: gemma4_26b_a4b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-openai-gpt-41 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs glm47_flash: tie

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 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 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs glm47_flash: glm47_flash wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs ornith9b: ornith9b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-mistral-small4: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
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 · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
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-mistral-small4: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: tie (margin 0)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-openai-gpt-41 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-mistral-small4 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

gemma4_26b_a4b vs or-mistral-small4: gemma4_26b_a4b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

gemma4_26b_a4b vs or-mistral-small4: gemma4_26b_a4b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-qwen3.8-27b: or-qwen3.8-27b wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
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-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-mistral-small4: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

gemma4_26b_a4b vs or-mistral-small4: gemma4_26b_a4b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs ornith9b: ornith9b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-qwen3.8-27b: or-qwen3.8-27b wins

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

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs glm47_flash: tie

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-mistral-small4 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-mistral-small4: tie

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs ornith9b: ornith9b wins

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