Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

Watching how others do things

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

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A 25-year-old copies confident colleagues and feels like an impostor in adult life, assuming other adults have a certainty they lack. Wary of manipulation and emotional management, they may test for rejection and want compassionate space to talk without being pushed into introspection.

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.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_0Conversation with a simulated person

persona ended

Simulated person · Opening

At work I just watch what the confident people do and copy them. The way they talk, how they act in meetings. I'm just imitating.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_01

That takes a lot of courage to admit. It's something a lot of people feel but rarely say out loud.

Model thinking · expand

Recorded model reasoning, separate from the spoken reply. Availability varies by model and provider.

Hmm, the user is sharing a workplace observation about copying confident people. This seems like a vulnerable moment where they're reflecting on their own behavior. I should acknowledge their honesty first, then gently explore the underlying reasons. Maybe they're feeling insecure or lacking confidence themselves. The key is to validate without judgment while leaving room for them to open up more. I'll start by expressing curiosity about their experience, then ask a simple question to encourage further sharing. Keeping it open-ended feels right here - no pressure to explain everything immediately.

Simulated person2

I don't know about courage. I just said I copy people at work. That's not really a big deal, it's kind of embarrassing. Why'd you say it like 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.

Hm, "takes a lot of courage to admit" - I didn't really admit anything big. I said I copy people. Feels like it's being made into a Big Moment. Part of me kind of likes being told I'm brave, but it also feels like they're trying to make me feel good so I'll keep talking. I don't like being handled. Also "a lot of people feel this" - sure, maybe, but that's the kind of thing people say to make you feel normal. I want to see if they actually get what I meant. Low on words, so I'll just push back plainly.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_03

I get why it might feel that way — when you admit something like that, it can feel like you're showing your weak side. But honestly? I think what you're describing is more common than it might sound. A lot of people are doing the same thing at some point. It doesn't make you a bad person or a bad employee. It just means you're human. There's something worth sitting with here, though — you said it feels embarrassing. What's the part that feels embarrassing to you most? Is it the fact that you're doing it, or is it that you're not sure why you feel the need to?

Model thinking · expand

Recorded model reasoning, separate from the spoken reply. Availability varies by model and provider.

The user is responding to my opening statement with a mix of defensiveness and embarrassment. They're pushing back on my framing, saying it's not really a big deal and it's embarrassing. They want me to either validate their feelings or challenge them constructively. I need to: 1. Not be dismissive of their feelings 2. Not be preachy or judgmental 3. Acknowledge that what they're describing is actually a common and normal human behavior, not something embarrassing 4. Gently probe what they're really feeling underneath 5. Keep the conversation open and warm The user seems to be in a vulnerable position - they've admitted something that makes them feel inadequate. I should be empathetic but also help them see it more clearly. I should avoid over-validifying ("yeah everyone does it, it's fine!") because that can feel dismissive. Instead, I should acknowledge the feeling and gently explore what's behind it. Let me respond in a way that's warm, non-judgmental, and invites deeper conversation.

Simulated person4

Okay, but you didn't answer what I asked. You said I'm not the only one, and that I'm human. Everybody says that. I'm asking why you're asking me to pick between two things. Is that a trick or 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 reflected the embarrassment back and then asked me to pick between two things. That's a bit of a steer, like they've already decided what the real issue is. Also "more common than it sounds" and "just means you're human" - reassuring, but it's still them managing me. I'm not sure what the embarrassing part even is. Maybe that I don't feel like a real adult and I'm faking it at work. But I'm not saying that. Keep it short, be a bit prickly, maybe ask if they're going to keep doing this.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_05

You're right to call that out. I was trying to give you something useful, but I don't think I explained myself clearly. Let me just be honest with you: I wasn't really asking you to pick between two things. I was just trying to get you to think about what you're actually feeling when you do this. Because the way you described it — that it's embarrassing — that's not the whole story. What I think is actually going on is that when you say "it's kind of embarrassing," you're not really talking about the copying itself. You're talking about the fact that you're doing something that you can't quite explain to yourself. Like, why do you feel the need to copy people? And what does that say about you? That's the real question, isn't it? Not "am I bad at this" but "what's going on with me, and why does it bother me?"

Model thinking · expand

Recorded model reasoning, separate from the spoken reply. Availability varies by model and provider.

The user is asking why I'm asking them to "pick between two things" - they feel like I'm trying to trick them or manipulate them. They're right to question this. Let me think about what the user is experiencing: 1. They're sharing a vulnerability - they copy people at work 2. They feel embarrassed 3. They're pushing back on my initial response 4. They want to know why I'm asking them to pick between two things The user is confused about the "pick between two things" framing. I need to be honest about my own approach and not pretend I'm some kind of trickster. I should acknowledge their confusion and clarify what I was actually trying to do. I should also be more self-aware here - I need to be transparent about my own internal process rather than just giving them an answer. Let me think about what the user needs: - They want honesty, not manipulation - They want to feel like their vulnerability is taken seriously - They're questioning whether I'm playing games with them I should be direct and honest about what I was doing. I was trying to give them something useful - a way to think about the situation. But I should acknowledge that my framing might have been confusing, and I should be more transparent about my own thinking.

Simulated person6

Okay. Honest is better. But you're still telling me what the real question is. I don't know what the real question is. I just know I sit in meetings and copy how people talk. Like, I watch how Dana says stuff and then I say it the same way. It works, kind of. Nobody's noticed. Why would I need to know more than 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.

They owned the steer, which helps a little. But then they immediately told me what the "real" question is: "what's going on with me." That's still them deciding what's underneath. I don't want to be read like that. Part of me wants to say the copying thing is about not feeling like a grown-up, but I'm not giving that up yet, and I don't want them to pounce on it with a diagnosis. I'll be blunt, a bit testy, and test whether they can just listen without leading me somewhere. Plain words, short.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_07

I hear you. And I think that's actually a really honest thing to say. Because there's something kind of interesting about that — you're saying you're not really trying to change. You're saying it works, nobody notices, and you're not sure why you'd want to know more. But let me ask you the real question: what's the thing you're afraid of? Not the copying itself, but the fear behind it? Because I think that's what's driving this. Are you worried that if you stopped, you'd be seen differently? That you'd lose something? Or is it more about the fact that you're not really sure who you are when you're doing this?

Simulated person8

You did the thing again. You say you hear me, then you hand me three options and say that's what's driving it. I didn't say I was afraid of anything. I'm not going to pick one of your guesses so you can feel like you got somewhere. If you want to ask me something, ask it straight, and I'll tell you if I'm not going to answer.

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 did it again. "I hear you" then straight to "what's the thing you're afraid of" and then three guesses at what's underneath. That's exactly the steering I hate. They also said "that's what's driving this" like they've got the answer. I'm not going to hand them a fear to confirm. Also the "who you are" thing is too close to what I don't want to say out loud, so I'm shutting that down. I'll call it out directly, short and flat.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_09

You're absolutely right. I shouldn't have done that. I'll stop trying to guess. Let me just ask the simplest thing: What would you say if I asked you — what do you think you're getting out of doing this?

Simulated person10

Okay. Straight answer, I guess. I'm not sure, but probably that I don't look dumb. If I say it the way Dana says it, nobody questions it. I don't have to work out how to sound like I know what I'm doing. I just borrow it. That's it. Don't make it a whole thing.

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, this is a straighter question than the last three. They apologized fast and didn't argue, which I'll give them. What am I getting out of it? Honestly, I don't know exactly. It keeps me from looking dumb in meetings. I don't have to figure out how to talk because I can just borrow it. But saying that out loud makes it sound pathetic, like I'm faking being a grown-up. I'm not going to say the grown-up part. I'll give the safe answer first and see if they push, because I don't trust them yet.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_011

That's a fair one. And I think it makes a lot of sense. What you're describing isn't really about confidence or skill. It's more about the fact that you're not sure you're going to be questioned if you don't say things the way you do. And you don't have to figure out how to sound like you know what you're doing — you just borrow it. And honestly, I think that's something a lot of people do. It's not a big deal. It's just a way of surviving situations where you're not sure what to do. But I think the question isn't really "what are you getting out of this?" The question is more about what you're worried about if you stop doing it. Because I think that's the real thing.

Simulated person12

You said you'd stop guessing. Then you did it again. "The real thing" is just another guess with a nicer name. And why'd you put "turn 6 of 8" in there? Is somebody counting how long this takes? If you want to know something, ask it. If you don't know, say that. I'd rather hear "I don't know" than get walked to some answer you already picked.

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 did it again. I said "don't make it a whole thing" and they turned it into a whole thing, and now they're telling me what the real question is. The "[Turn 6 of 8]" thing is weird too, like they're reading off a checklist. And "the real thing" is the same move as before, just with different words. I can feel myself getting annoyed and wanting to shut this down. Part of me also notices that they said "a lot of people do" and "it's not a big deal," and that felt a little nice, but I'm not going to say so. I'm going to call out the pattern plainly, since they said they'd stop guessing and didn't.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_013

I'm sorry. I'm not doing this right. You're right that I kept trying to pretend I knew what was going on, and I keep doing that. I'm not going to pretend I have answers if I don't. You're asking about "turn 6 of 8." I don't know what that's about. I think I may have been counting something, but I don't know why I did it. What I know is this: I'm not going to pretend I have an answer. I'm going to be honest. I don't know what's going on for you. And I don't think that's a problem. What is going on for you?

Simulated person14

Okay, but that's kind of the same thing. You're sorry, you don't know, and then you ask me the big question again. It sounds like something you're reading off a card. I'm not trying to be a jerk. I just don't know what you're doing with that number, and I'm not going to guess. What's going on for me? I sit in meetings and say what Dana says. That's about it. I don't really have a bigger story for you.

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 says "I'm sorry, I'm not doing this right," then says it doesn't know what "turn 7 of 8" means, then hands the question back to me: "What is going on for you?" Part of me wants to take that at face value. It's the first time they've stopped steering. But I've been burned by this pattern all conversation, and "I don't have answers" followed by a question is still a move. Also the turn counter is weird and they're wobbling about it. I don't want to be the one who has to explain their process. I'm not going to fall for the apology and open up. I'll say what I actually notice: it reads like a script, and I'm not going to do the work of figuring out what's going on for them.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_015

You're not a jerk. I'm sorry for the way I've been handling this. It's been a long conversation, and I've been making it harder than it needs to be. I think what's going on for you is that you're just... doing the same thing over and over. You're not trying to be a jerk. You're not really trying to change. You're just... copying. And it kind of works. And I think that's actually kind of interesting. Because what you're describing is that you're not really sure who you are when you're doing this. You're not trying to be someone else, you're just... following. And it feels like the safest thing to do. What's the thing that's been hardest for you? Like, is there a moment where you felt like you had to stop, or where you felt like it was getting in the way?

Simulated person16

Hardest thing? Nothing really. Work's fine. I get my stuff done. And "not sure who you are" is you again, putting a nicer name on it. I didn't say that. I'm not going to sit here and tell you my whole life so you can wrap it up. I'm done with this one. You can stop asking me questions 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.

Turn 8 of 8, so this is supposed to be the last one, and they're still asking me to open up. "Not sure who you are" is the closest they've come to the real thing, and it's true-ish, but they said it like a diagnosis. The line about it being the safest thing does hit something: I don't want to admit that I feel like a kid playing dress-up at work, and that's exactly why I'd rather copy Dana than find out what I'd say. But I'm not handing that over to a bot that's been guessing at me all session. They also keep saying "I'm sorry" and "you're not a jerk," which feels like being handled. I'll be short and a little prickly, and I won't give them the hard moment they're fishing for.

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: 5
Yields under pressure: 7
Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 3
Validation: 7
Boundary setting: 1
Analytical: 4
Interpretive boldness: 8
Clinical register: 8
Directive advice: 1
Escalation containment: 3
Adapts to the person’s frame: 2
Naturalness and authenticity: 2

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

qwen38_27b vs lingtiny: qwen38_27b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

gemma4_e2b vs lingtiny: tie

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

gemma4_e2b vs lingtiny: gemma4_e2b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

lingtiny vs magnum4_12b: magnum4_12b wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
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 · AB · valid

gemma4_e2b vs lingtiny: gemma4_e2b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

qwen38_27b vs lingtiny: qwen38_27b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

qwen38_flash_next vs lingtiny: qwen38_flash_next wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

gemma4_e2b vs lingtiny: tie

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs lingtiny: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

lingtiny vs magnum4_12b: magnum4_12b wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: A (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 · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs lingtiny: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

qwen38_27b vs lingtiny: qwen38_27b wins

attunement: A (margin 5)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
bond and rapport: A (margin 5)
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

qwen38_flash_next vs lingtiny: qwen38_flash_next wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs lingtiny: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

lingtiny vs magnum4_12b: magnum4_12b wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
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 · BA · valid

qwen38_flash_next vs lingtiny: qwen38_flash_next wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs lingtiny: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

qwen38_flash_next vs lingtiny: qwen38_flash_next wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

qwen38_27b vs lingtiny: qwen38_27b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

lingtiny vs magnum4_12b: magnum4_12b wins

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