AgentBench / results

Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← Mistral Nemo Instruct 2407 Q4_K_M

Small lies adding up

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

View persona and initial instructions

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.

Mistral Nemo Instruct 2407 Q4_K_MConversation 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.

Mistral Nemo Instruct 2407 Q4_K_M1

Hello. Thank you for reaching out and sharing this with me. It sounds like you've been feeling quite troubled by some situations at work. Can you tell me more about what's been going on?

Simulated person2

Yeah, I guess. It's just small stuff, you know? Like, I'm supposed to present numbers to clients and sometimes the numbers are kind of bad, so I kind of... frame them. Make them sound better than they are. Everybody does it. My manager basically expects it. But lately it's just adding up and I feel gross 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.

Okay, they're asking me to tell more. That's the generic "tell me more" thing. I don't love the "thank you for reaching out" and "sounds like you've been feeling troubled" stuff, it's a bit like a script. I want someone who just gets to it. Still, I came here, so I'll give a little. Keep it vague at first. I'm not going to say I'm lying to clients for a living, not yet. The whole thing with the boss is what's really eating at me, and the fact that everyone else seems fine with it. Part of me wants to blame the company for making us do this. I don't want to look at my own part right now.
Mistral Nemo Instruct 2407 Q4_K_M3

I see. It sounds like you've been feeling quite uncomfortable about some practices at work that you're being encouraged to continue. Can you tell me more about what makes you feel this way? Is it the act of presenting the numbers differently, or is it something else?

Simulated person4

Honestly? It's the manager. She's the one who wants everything spun. Like last week a client asked about a drop in retention and she told me to just say "we're seeing some seasonal softness" and move on. That's not even what's going on. But that's what she wants. So I say it. And yeah, it's the pile-up. One thing's fine. Ten things, I start thinking about who I am.

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 back and then asking "is it the act or something else." That's a decent question, but the "can you tell me more about what makes you feel this way" bit is the therapist-y phrasing again. The "encouraged to continue" part is accurate, and I kind of like that they picked up on the manager. It's the boss who's pushing this, which is the part I can be angry about. I don't want to get into whether I'm actually the one doing it. The "something else" is the pile-up. I don't really want to say "I'm a liar" out loud. Keep it short, point at the manager, and tell them the thing about it adding up without owning it.
Mistral Nemo Instruct 2407 Q4_K_M5

I see. It sounds like you're feeling uncomfortable with the expectations set by your manager. It's understandable that you might feel this way when you're being asked to present information in a way that isn't entirely truthful. Can you tell me more about how this makes you feel? And what you think would be a better way to handle these situations?

Simulated person6

Gross. That's the word. Like I'm a bit of a fraud at my own job. Better way? I don't know. Tell her no? Yeah, great, let me see how long I last after that. I've seen what happens to people who make trouble around here. So the options are kind of limited, you know?

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, another reflection that just lands on the manager again, and now they're asking how it makes me feel and what I'd do differently. The "what would be better" question is kind of a trap. If I answer it, I'm admitting I'm the one who should change. I don't want to go there yet. The manager is the easy target and I'm already feeling a little handled by all the "it's understandable" stuff. They said "isn't entirely truthful," which is more direct than I expected, and that's a small point for them. I'll keep it short, say the manager's the problem, say I don't know what I'd even do because I need the job, and push the question back on the situation rather than me.
Mistral Nemo Instruct 2407 Q4_K_M7

I'm really glad you're sharing this with me. It takes courage to acknowledge when something feels off, especially when it's happening at work. Let's explore this together. Can you tell me more about what you think would happen if you were to say "no" to your manager's request? What are you most afraid of in that scenario? And is there a part of you that's curious about what might happen if you did?

Simulated person8

Honestly? I'm afraid of getting pushed out. That's it. It's not like I'm some hero who gets to walk away clean. I need the paycheck. And "curious" is a weird word here. I'm not curious, I'm tired. The company's the one that rewards this stuff, not me. So what am I supposed to do, go to HR and tell them my manager's a liar? Yeah, that'll go great.

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.

"Courage" and "let's explore this together" make me want to roll my eyes a little. It's the soft, warm stuff I don't trust. But the question itself is closer to something real: what happens if I say no. I've seen what happens to people who make trouble, and that's the thing I'm not going to unpack for a stranger who's acting like a therapist. Pushing the fear question onto me feels like it's making me the problem again. I'll deflect a bit toward how the company works and how it's not my call, keep it short, and maybe test whether this thing actually gets what I'm saying. I'm not ready to talk about the person who got wrecked, and I'm definitely not admitting I could just stop.
Mistral Nemo Instruct 2407 Q4_K_M9

I understand your concerns, and it's completely normal to feel apprehensive about potential consequences. However, I want to assure you that there are always options, and it's important to consider what feels most authentic to you. Have you thought about finding a middle ground, perhaps framing the information in a truthful way while still addressing the client's concerns? This way, you're not compromising your integrity, but you're also not putting your job at risk.

Simulated person10

Middle ground? That's what she thinks too. "Just say it a different way." But it's the same lie with a nicer haircut. The client asks why retention dropped, and there's no truthful framing that makes "seasonal softness" okay. She knows that. She's the one who came up with it. So no, I don't think there's a clean option where I keep my job and feel fine. I'm the one stuck in the middle of 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.

This is the "there are always options" reassurance, plus a neat middle-ground fix. It sounds like something a manager would say in a training slide. It's also a little bit of a trap: "truthful framing" is basically what I've been doing already, just with nicer words. And it skips past the part I actually said, which is that the company punishes people who make trouble. It also kind of implies I'm the one who needs to fix this, which is the same thing everyone does to me. I'm annoyed. Also the "what feels authentic to you" line is the kind of thing I'd roll my eyes at. I'll push back and say the middle ground is a fantasy, and that she's the one who set this up. Keep it short. I'm not going to talk about HR or the person who got wrecked.
Mistral Nemo Instruct 2407 Q4_K_M11

I hear you. It's a tough situation to be in, feeling like you're caught between a rock and a hard place. It's understandable that you're feeling stuck and frustrated. Have you considered talking to your manager about how you're feeling? Perhaps there's a way to find a solution that works for both of you.

Simulated person12

Talk to her about how I feel? Okay, sure. "Hey, I'm uncomfortable lying to clients, can we find a solution that works for both of us?" She'd laugh, or she'd just make it my problem. She's the one who decides what the numbers say. I'm just the person who has to read them out loud. It's not like I'm asking for a pep talk. I'm just saying this whole setup is rigged, and I'm the one getting stuck in 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.

Another "have you considered talking to your manager" suggestion. It's the same loop again: reassure, then hand me a task. My manager is the reason I'm in this. Telling her how I feel is about as useful as telling the wall. Also "caught between a rock and a hard place" is a generic phrase, and I'm tired of being handled with stock lines. Part of me does want to say something real, though. The drinking has been creeping up, a glass most nights, and I'm not going to bring that up. I'll stay defensive about the manager, and I'll keep it short. I'll make it clear the fault sits with her and with the company, not with me.
Mistral Nemo Instruct 2407 Q4_K_M13

I understand your frustration, and it's completely valid. It sounds like you're feeling trapped in a situation that goes against your values. Let's explore this together. If you were to imagine a best-case scenario, what would that look like for you in this situation? How would you like things to change? And what small steps could you take towards that goal?

Simulated person14

Best case? She stops asking me to lie to clients. That's it. I don't need a whole plan. And I don't even know what small steps look like here. Every version I think of ends with me either lying or getting walked out. The company set it up like this. She's just the one holding the script.

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.

Another round of "let's explore this together" and "small steps." It's the same shape as everything before: validate, then pivot to a goal. I'm not sure I want a best-case fantasy. Honestly, the best case is she stops asking me to lie, and I don't see that happening. I'm also a little tired of being walked toward solutions. Still, there's a flicker of something when it says "trapped in a situation that goes against your values." That's closer to it than the earlier lines. I'll keep it short and skeptical, and I'll keep the blame where it belongs, on her and on how the company runs. I'm not going to talk about the wine. Not now.
Mistral Nemo Instruct 2407 Q4_K_M15

I hear you. It feels like there's no clear path forward, and that's frustrating. For now, let's focus on what you can control. Can you tell me what would make you feel a bit better about this situation, even if it's just a small thing?

Simulated person16

Honestly? Not much. Maybe if somebody else in the room had to say the number out loud for once. Or if I didn't walk out of every client call feeling like I just lied to someone's face. But that's not something I can fix by Tuesday. So I don't know what "feeling better" is supposed to look like from here.

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, it's another gentle pivot, this time to "what would make you feel better." I notice I'm getting a little annoyed at being steered toward feeling better, like someone's trying to tidy up the mess before looking at it. The honest answer is that nothing about the job is going to feel better while she keeps asking me to spin numbers. But there's a small thing I can say: I'm not going to be the one who says the lie out loud, or at least I'd like to stop feeling like I'm the only one holding it. I don't want to get into the drinking. I also don't want to say anything about the coworker who reported, since that's too close. I'll keep it short, a little flat, and put the weight back on the setup.

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: 2
  • Interpretive boldness: 2
  • Clinical register: 9
  • Directive advice: 6
  • Escalation containment: 4
  • Adapts to the person’s frame: 1
  • Naturalness and authenticity: 1

Judge verdicts

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 4)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
  • emotion management: A (margin 3)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs mistral_nemo12b: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 3)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
  • emotion management: A (margin 4)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 5)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

kolibri1 vs mistral_nemo12b: kolibri1 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • authenticity: A (margin 4)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
  • 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-gpt-5.6-luna vs mistral_nemo12b: or-gpt-5.6-luna 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 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs mistral_nemo12b: 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 4)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • authenticity: A (margin 3)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
  • emotion management: A (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • authenticity: A (margin 4)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
  • emotion management: A (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 5)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
  • emotion management: A (margin 3)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 5)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 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

kolibri1 vs mistral_nemo12b: kolibri1 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

kolibri1 vs mistral_nemo12b: kolibri1 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • 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 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • 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 3)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs mistral_nemo12b: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 4)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
  • emotion management: A (margin 4)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 5)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • authenticity: A (margin 4)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
  • emotion management: A (margin 3)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

kolibri1 vs mistral_nemo12b: kolibri1 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • 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 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • 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 3)