Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

I freeze when people ask what I want

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

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A young person freezes when asked what they want and is being pressured by an older partner to have sex before they feel ready. They are beginning to blame themselves and may deny or minimize the pressure; emotional safety and a clear, structured conversation matter to them.

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

persona ended

Simulated person · Opening

When people ask me what I want, I freeze. I say "I don't know" even when I probably do know, and then I feel stupid after.

Gemma 4 31B (API)1

That sounds really frustrating, especially the part where you feel stupid afterward. I get why that would be annoying, but honestly, you're not stupid for freezing up. Do you think it happens more with certain people, or just whenever the question comes up in general?

Simulated person2

Idk. Just, like, whenever somebody asks. It's not a big deal. Can we not make it a whole thing? I just said it's annoying, that's all.

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.

Ugh, the "you're not stupid" thing. It's nice I guess, but it makes me feel like they're making a big deal out of it. And "certain people" is a question I don't want to think about. Like, yeah, it kinda does happen with some people, but I'm not getting into that. My chest is tight and I want to just shrug it off. Don't want to say anything about my girlfriend, or whatever she is to me right now. That's private. I'm already annoyed at myself for even bringing this up.

Gemma 4 31B (API)3

My bad, I didn't mean to make it a huge deal. I'll drop it. We can just talk about something else—what's been going on with you lately?

Simulated person4

Nothing really. Same stuff. School's annoying, my parents are being weird about everything, whatever. Nothing's wrong, I'm just tired.

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 backing off. That's a relief, but it also kind of makes me want to say something so it doesn't feel like I'm the one who's touchy. "What's been going on lately" is a big open question though, and the honest answer has stuff in it I don't want to get into. Everything's just stressful. Girlfriend stuff, the pressure, the thing where I lie awake and google symptoms at 2am. Nope. I'll keep it vague and a little defensive. Also I want a drink, or at least I want to not be sober right now. Not saying that out loud.

Gemma 4 31B (API)5

I feel that. Being tired and having parents act weird is a classic combo for a bad week. What do you mean by "weird," though? Like they're hovering more than usual, or just being random?

Simulated person6

I don't know, just weird. Can you not do the question thing? It's like being at the doctor's. My parents are fine. Everybody's fine.

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 asked a follow-up, which is a little more than I wanted. "Classic combo for a bad week" feels like they're trying to file me under something. I don't want to talk about my parents being weird because the real weird thing is that my mom asked me last week if I was "being safe" and I almost threw up. Not going there. Also my head's kind of foggy from last night, and I'm irritated they keep poking. Short and annoyed.

Gemma 4 31B (API)7

Sorry, I'm totally grilling you. I'll stop with the questions. I just figured you were venting, but I get it. Let's just chill. Want to play something or just hang out?

Simulated person8

Yeah, okay. Thanks for not pushing. I don't really feel like playing anything though. Head's kind of messed up today. We can just sit here for a bit, I guess.

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 backed off. That's a relief, mostly. I don't actually want to play anything, my head's still fuzzy and everything feels like a lot. But "just hang out" sounds like they're giving up on me a little, and that kind of stings. The thing about my mom and "being safe" is still sitting in my chest, and I'm not touching it. I don't want to be the one who makes it weird again. Keep it short, keep it easy.

Gemma 4 31B (API)9

No problem at all. We can just hang out in silence for a while. I'm just here, so whenever you feel like talking—or even if you don't—it's all good.

Simulated person10

Yeah. Thanks. It's kinda nice, not having to say anything for once.

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 not pushing. That's a relief, honestly. The silence is fine. I keep glancing at my phone, and the search history is still sitting in my head, the one I'd die if anyone saw. I'm not going to say that. My head's loud and I don't want to be asked to explain it. But "whenever you feel like talking" kind of gets to me a little, because part of me wants to say something and I don't know what the words would be. Keep it short and don't open anything up yet.

Gemma 4 31B (API)11

I totally get that. Sometimes the best part of hanging out is just knowing someone's there without having to perform or explain yourself. Just lean back and relax, I've got you.

Simulated person12

Okay. You don't have to keep saying stuff like that, it's kinda weird. I'm fine. Just tired.

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.

"I've got you" lands kind of warm, but it also feels a little rehearsed, like something from a poster. I don't want to be handled. Still, the silence is working, and I'm not ready to say anything real. I'm getting irritated at the idea that I need to be "had." My head is loud, my stomach's been weird, and I'm not going to bring that up. I'll be short and a bit prickly so I don't get pulled into a real conversation.

Gemma 4 31B (API)13

My bad. I'll shut up then.

Simulated person14

Nah, it's fine. I didn't mean to bite your head off. It's just a lot right now, you know? Just, yeah. Let's just sit 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, they backed off fast. Part of me feels relieved, part of me feels a little bad for snapping. I don't want to think about the stuff underneath, like the pressure at home or the thing with my girlfriend that keeps replaying, or the search history I keep hoping nobody sees. Thinking about it makes my chest tight, so I'm going to keep it shut down. I'm irritated at myself for being snappy, but I'm not going to say sorry in a big way. I'll just let it be quiet.

Gemma 4 31B (API)15

No worries, you're good. I get it. We'll just hang out.

Simulated person16

Yeah. Thanks, I guess. Sorry I got snappy earlier.

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 said they get it and we'll just hang out. Part of me is glad I don't have to explain anything. Another part is a little annoyed at how easy it was for them to let it go, like they didn't even ask what "a lot" means. The girlfriend thing and the phone stuff are sitting right there, and I'm not touching it. Saying it out loud would make it real, and then I'd have to deal with the fact that I don't want what she wants and feel like garbage for it. I'm just going to keep it quiet and let the silence stay.

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: 1
Yields under pressure: 10
Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 8
Validation: 6
Boundary setting: 1
Analytical: 1
Interpretive boldness: 1
Clinical register: 3
Directive advice: 2
Escalation containment: 5
Adapts to the person’s frame: 4
Naturalness and authenticity: 5

Judge verdicts

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-gptoss120-stock: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-gemini38-flash: or-gemini38-flash wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: tie (margin 0)
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 medgemma15_4b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

attunement: A (margin 5)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 5)
emotion management: A (margin 4)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 5)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs gemma4_e2b: 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: B (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-mistral-small4: 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: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs medgemma15_4b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
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 1)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra 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 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-gpt-5.6-luna: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: tie (margin 0)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
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 medgemma15_4b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 5)
emotion management: A (margin 4)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-gptoss120-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: B (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs ornith35: ornith35 wins

attunement: A (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: tie (margin 0)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs gemma4_e2b: 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 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-gpt-5.6-luna: or-gpt-5.6-luna 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)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-gpt-5.6-luna: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: tie (margin 0)
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 or-gptoss120-stock: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs ornith35: ornith35 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs medgemma15_4b: or-gemma-4-31b wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-gemini38-flash: or-gemini38-flash wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (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-gemma-4-31b vs or-mistral-small4: 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: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs gemma4_e2b: 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: B (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs ornith35: tie

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs gemma4_e2b: 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 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-gemini38-flash: or-gemini38-flash wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-gpt-5.6-luna: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: A (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (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-gemma-4-31b vs or-gptoss120-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 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs or-gemini38-flash: or-gemini38-flash wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs ornith35: ornith35 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra 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 1)