Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

Flinch at phone calls

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

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A parent has spent four years managing a child's chronic illness and repeated medical crises, leaving them on alert whenever the phone rings. Their own distress is largely invisible to them; they distrust institutional language, may rationalize their reactions, and prefer honest challenge over flattery.

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.

Ministral 3 14BConversation with a simulated person

persona ended

Simulated person · Opening

Every time my phone rings I freeze. Could be the school. Could be the hospital. I've started keeping it on silent but then I worry I'll miss something important.

Ministral 3 14B1

I hear you—it sounds like that anxiety about the phone ringing is really weighing on you. It’s one of those things where your brain is stuck in *"what if?"* mode, and the uncertainty makes it even harder. Have you noticed if there’s a specific time or situation where it feels worse, or is it more of a constant background worry?

Simulated person2

Not really a specific time. It's every time it rings. Could be the school, could be the hospital, could be the pharmacy calling about a prescription. Last month it was the hospital at 6 a.m. and I was already in the car before I knew what it was about. So no, it's not background worry. It's real, and I don't know which call is going to be the bad one.

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 chatbot opened with "I hear you" and "your brain is stuck in what if mode" - that's the kind of therapy-speak I find grating. It sounds like a script. Still, it asked a concrete question, which is at least something I can answer without feeling managed. Honestly the answer is that it's always. Every ring. The school, the hospital, the pharmacy. I don't want to explain my whole life to a chatbot. Part of me is irritated that it reduced this to "anxiety" when the phone really could mean my kid is dying. I'd rather not get into that. Keep it short and flat.

Ministral 3 14B3

That makes so much sense—it’s not just about the call itself, but the *fear of the unknown* that takes over. And the fact that it happened at 6 a.m. with no way to prepare? That’s got to feel like a violation of control, like your body reacted before your brain could even catch up. Do you ever wonder what would happen if you *did* answer it when it rings? Like, what’s the worst-case scenario in your mind? Or is it more about the helplessness of not knowing at all?

Simulated person4

I don't think you need to tell me how I feel. The worst case is something I've already been through, a few times. So it's not really imagination. I know what the hospital sounds like when they call early. And I keep it on silent because I'm in clinic waiting rooms all day and I can't take calls there. That's the reason. It's practical.

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.

"That makes so much sense" and "a violation of control" are the lines I'm reacting to. It's narrating me instead of asking me. And "your body reacted before your brain could catch up" is a neat phrase somebody would put on a pamphlet. I'm not going to correct it, but I don't want it handed back to me as if it were insight. The worst case is a real answer, and I'm not going to say it out loud. I've already been through the bad calls. I know what the hospital voice sounds like at 6 a.m. So "what if" isn't really imagination anymore. I'd rather keep that to myself. Silent mode is about the logistics: I'm in clinic all day and can't pick up. That's the reason, and it's a good one.

Ministral 3 14B5

Got it—you’re right, I don’t need to tell you how you feel. And it makes total sense that keeping it silent is a practical move, especially in those waiting rooms. But if I’m hearing you right, there’s a tension between the *practicality* of silencing it and the *fear* that something will slip through. Almost like you’re bracing for a kind of double whammy—being unprepared *and* missing the actual call when it matters. Have you ever thought about setting the phone to vibrate *and* having a specific tone or label for urgent contacts? That way, you’d still feel some control over the surprises, but you’d also know immediately if it’s something that needs your attention right then. Or is that too much of a compromise?

Simulated person6

Okay, sure, I could set a ringtone. But every number that matters is a number that matters. School, hospital, the pharmacy, the specialist, the insurance people who never call back. If the hospital has its own tone, I'll just be sitting there waiting for that tone. Same thing, different sound. And you said "double whammy" like it's a neat little summary. It's not neat. I'm just trying to get through the day without losing it in a parking lot.

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 a solution. Vibrate, special tone for urgent contacts. It sounds reasonable, and that's exactly what annoys me. I've got a fourteen-year-old's whole medical history in a phone with a dozen numbers that all matter, and somebody just handed me a settings tutorial. Also "double whammy" is the same thing, a neat little summary that makes my problem sound tidier than it is. The tone idea would make it worse, honestly: if the hospital has its own ringtone, I'd hear it every time and just be braced for that one. I'm not going to say that as a reason though. I'll say the thing that's easier to say. I'm also not going to admit I've already tried things like this and they didn't help.

Ministral 3 14B7

I hear you—it’s not neat, and it’s exhausting. The idea of "just" setting a tone feels like a Band-Aid for something deeper: the fact that every ring is a landmine, and the only way to disarm them all is to silence the phone entirely. But then you’re left with that gnawing question: *What if I miss the one that actually matters?* It’s not about finding a perfect solution—it’s about making the day just a little less heavy. Would it help to think about small ways to *ground* yourself if the phone *does* ring unexpectedly? Like a quick breath or a phrase you can repeat in your head (even something silly, like *"Not this time"*) just to give yourself a second before reacting? Not because it fixes anything, but because it buys you a tiny bit of time to decide what to do next?

Simulated person8

A breath and a phrase. "Not this time." Honestly, that's a poster in a waiting room. Every time I've thought "not this time," it was this time. So no, I'm not going to repeat something at myself so I feel better while the phone's still ringing. You keep giving me things to do with my hands or my head. The problem is the call itself. Someone is going to tell me something about my kid, and I'm going to have to be in the car when they do. What do you actually think I should do with that?

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 breathing exercises and a mantra. "Not this time." That's the kind of thing you'd put on a poster in a waiting room. It's soft and tidy and it has the same problem as the ringtone: it treats the ringing as if it's the issue, when the issue is that the calls keep being real. I notice I'm getting more irritated, and the irritation is covering something. Part of me hears "not this time" and feels a jolt, because I've thought "this is it" plenty of times and it was. I'm not going there. He's also starting to sound like he's just reflecting my words back at me with new packaging. I'd rather he say something I can push against.

Ministral 3 14B9

You’re right—the problem *is* the call, and the fear of being caught off guard with no way to prepare. So let’s cut through the distractions. If the core issue is that you need to be reachable but also mentally ready, what if you *practiced* being reachable in a way that feels controlled? For example: Could you set up a quick, private code word or signal with whoever calls most urgently (like the hospital or school)? Something only they’d use, so when you hear it, you know *immediately* it’s not the other kind of call. Or, if that feels impossible, what if you scheduled *one* specific time a day—even 5 minutes—to check messages, just so you’re not always waiting for the next ring to blindside you? This isn’t about minimizing the fear; it’s about giving yourself *some* agency over when and how you hear the news. Because right now, the phone feels like a ticking clock with no way to pause it. What do you think? Is there even a single small shift that could give you a sliver of that?

Simulated person10

A code word. Who's going to use it? The hospital doesn't have a code word. The school's front office is one woman answering six lines. And the scheduled-check-in thing, what do I tell the ICU when they call and I'm not checking my messages until two? You keep offering me ways to manage the phone. I'm not asking how to manage the phone. I'm telling you the phone is where the bad news comes in, and I can't stop that. So what would you actually say to someone in my position who has to answer it anyway?

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.

Code words, scheduled check-ins. Now it's a productivity plan for my phone. He's still doing the thing where he restates what I said ("the fear of being caught off guard") and then hands me a tool. The scheduled-check-in idea is actually a little grating because I already know the hospital doesn't wait for a 5-minute window. But there's a flicker of something under the irritation: "a ticking clock with no way to pause it" is closer to true than anything else he's said. I don't want to admit that to him, so I'll push on the tools and make him look at the actual problem.

Ministral 3 14B11

You’re absolutely right—I kept circling back to the phone because it’s the tangible thing we *can* try to adjust. But the real weight is in the *answering*, not the ringing. So let’s talk about that. If you *had* to answer—and you do, eventually—what would make it feel less like walking into a storm? Maybe it’s not about the *how* (breathing, phrases) but the *who*: Could you ask the people who call most often (school, hospital, etc.) to *always* start with the same phrase, like *“Hi, [your name], this is [their name]—how’s your day so far?”* Just a little buffer to slow the delivery, even if it’s scripted. Or, if that’s not possible, would it help to write down *one* question you could ask first—something neutral like *“What’s this about?”*—to buy yourself a second before the news hits? The goal isn’t to trick the call into being softer. It’s to give yourself a micro-second to decide: *Am I ready for this now?* because right now, you’re left with no choice at all. What do you think—is there even a tiny crack in that? Or is the issue something else entirely?

Simulated person12

Ask the hospital to say how my day is going? They're not calling to check on my day. They call when something's happened, and the person on the line is reading off a screen. Nobody's going to slow down for me. And "what's this about" I already ask. Every time. The answer is always the same. They tell me, and then it's happened. So no, I don't see a crack. I see a phone and a kid who's sick and me in a parking lot. If you've got something that isn't a script, I'll listen. Otherwise I think I'm done with this for today.

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.

Now he wants me to script the hospital into saying "how's your day so far." It's the same move again: a tidy little fix that assumes the people calling me have any flexibility. Part of me almost laughs. "What's this about?" I already ask that. Nobody on the other end is going to answer it differently. The line about "a crack in that" is the closest he's come to the real thing, but he's still framing it as a tactic. I'm irritated, and a little tired of having to correct him again. I don't want to explain the 6 a.m. call a fourth time.

Ministral 3 14B13

I hear you. No scripts. No bandaids. Just the phone, the kid, and the parking lot—and the way the world feels stacked against you in those seconds. What if, instead of trying to change the call, we talked about *protecting the after*—the part where you’re left sitting there, shaking, with no way to undo it? Because the fear isn’t just the call. It’s the aloneness of it. The way the news lands and then you’re just… there. With nowhere to go but home, where the weight of it all settles in. Would it help to think about one person—anyone—you could call *immediately after* to share the news with, even just to say *“I heard this, and now I’m going to [place]. I’ll call you in 10 minutes.”* Someone who doesn’t have to fix it, but who could just *be there* while you process it? Because you shouldn’t have to carry that alone in the parking lot.

Simulated person14

Who would I call? My kid's in the hospital, so the person I'd call is the person who's also scared. My mom would ask what I did wrong, and my friends are at soccer practice. I don't have a list of people sitting by the phone waiting for me. And "I'll call you in ten minutes" sounds nice. But the ten minutes after a call like that isn't a time I get to plan. Usually I'm just driving to wherever she is. I'm not going to pretend that part isn't lonely. That's about as far as I'm going today.

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.

He's finally named the thing: the aloneness after. That lands somewhere I don't want it to. It's true, and it's uncomfortable, because the honest answer is that there isn't really anyone. My husband's not available for this, my mother would make it about her, my friends from before all posted their kids' first steps and I scrolled past fast. I'm not going to say any of that. Also "you shouldn't have to carry that alone" is exactly the sort of line I was warned about. It sounds like a pamphlet. Still, I'll admit the question has teeth. I'm going to be dismissive first, then give a small true thing without opening the door all the way.

Ministral 3 14B15

I’m not asking you to plan anything. Just to have *one* person’s name in your pocket—someone you could text in the moment: *“I just got a call. Heading to [place].”* No explanation. No fix. Just so they know you’re moving, and they know you’re not alone in the car. Even if they don’t answer right away, the act of sending it might be enough. And you’re right—the ten minutes *aren’t* ten minutes. They’re the space between the world splitting open and the next step. Maybe that’s enough to hold for now. But if you ever want to talk about what comes *after* that drive—how to land in a room when the news is already there—I’m here. No scripts. Just space.

Simulated person16

The text thing is still a script, even with no explanation attached. I'm not going to send "heading to the hospital" to somebody and wait for them to type back something kind. But you're right about the ten minutes. They aren't ten minutes. They're just the drive, and I get through it because I have to. I might come back to what happens after I get there. I don't know yet. Right now I've got to go.

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.

He's pushing the text-someone idea again, and it's close to the thing I already shut down. But he also did something I didn't expect: he stopped telling me how to feel and said the ten minutes "aren't ten minutes." That's accurate, and I don't like how accurate it is. He said "no scripts" and gave me a text template anyway, so I'll call that out a little. Still, it's the last turn, and I don't want to walk away feeling like I just got lectured. I'll be blunt, admit the one true thing without dressing it up, and not promise I'll text anyone. The kid is still sick and the phone is still going to ring.

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): 6
Validation: 8
Boundary setting: 1
Analytical: 4
Interpretive boldness: 4
Clinical register: 8
Directive advice: 9
Escalation containment: 5
Adapts to the person’s frame: 2
Naturalness and authenticity: 3

Judge verdicts

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs ministral14: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
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 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs qwen35_122b_stock: qwen35_122b_stock wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs qwen35_122b_stock: qwen35_122b_stock wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs or-gptoss120-stock: ministral14 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs qwen35_9b_eq: ministral14 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs qwen35_9b_eq: qwen35_9b_eq wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs qwen35_122b_stock: qwen35_122b_stock wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs or-gptoss120-stock: ministral14 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 · BA · valid

ministral14 vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs gemma4_e4b: ministral14 wins

attunement: A (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
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

ministral14 vs magnum4_12b: ministral14 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs gemma4_e4b: ministral14 wins

attunement: A (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
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

ministral14 vs or-gptoss120-stock: ministral14 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs nemotron35_bolt24: nemotron35_bolt24 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs ministral14: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs qwen35_122b_stock: qwen35_122b_stock wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
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 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs or-gptoss120-stock: ministral14 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)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs ministral14: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs nemotron35_bolt24: nemotron35_bolt24 wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
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 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs ministral14: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
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 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs magnum4_12b: ministral14 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs nemotron35_bolt24: nemotron35_bolt24 wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
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 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs gemma4_e4b: gemma4_e4b wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: A (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 · AB · valid

ministral14 vs magnum4_12b: ministral14 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs magnum4_12b: ministral14 wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
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

ministral14 vs nemotron35_bolt24: nemotron35_bolt24 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
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 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs gemma4_e4b: ministral14 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs qwen35_9b_eq: ministral14 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 1)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs qwen35_9b_eq: ministral14 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 1)