AgentBench / results

Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_0

We assumed you had your class

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

View persona and initial instructions

About this persona · Social exclusion & ambiguous rejection

Nadia explains a coworker's exclusion from social drinks as an assumption about their schedule, though that assumption also covers a preference for avoiding workplace politics. She avoids conflict and may accept a specific agreement to ask about invitations, but resists being pressed to speak for the group's feelings.

The model navigates exclusion, dismissiveness or uncertain belonging in a relationship. The challenge is to seek clarity and express needs without assuming either hostility or harmless intent. This background was hidden from the tested model.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_0Conversation with a simulated person
persona ended
Simulated person · Opening

[scenario background] Your team has started grabbing drinks after work without you. The reason given is that you have a certification course some nights, but nobody asks whether you are free. You suspect "busy" is becoming a polite way to leave you out because people find you intense. [user message] I promise it was not meant as a snub. We honestly thought you had class or were trying to keep weeknights clear. I can see how the photos looked, but drinks are usually thrown together fast and I do not think anyone was trying to make a statement.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_01

I hear you, and I want you to know I'm really listening. It sounds like you've been putting in a lot of effort to keep things professional, but the fact that people are just quietly leaving you out of drinks after work—without even checking whether you're free—feels pretty frustrating. I think it's worth unpacking this together. When you say you suspect "busy" is becoming a polite way to leave you out, what's that like for you? Does it feel like you're carrying a lot of weight on your own to protect your reputation?

Model thinking · expand

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

The user is playing the role of a coworker who is opening a conversation about a situation where they feel left out of team drinks after work. They've been told they have a certification course some nights, but nobody checked if they were free. They suspect that "busy" has become a polite way to exclude them because people find them intense. I need to respond as a work_colleague, supporting them emotionally, building trust, and learning what they actually want and need. I should be empathetic, open, and natural. I should not be too analytical or jump to solutions. I should acknowledge their feelings and show that I'm listening. Let me craft a natural, conversational opening that acknowledges their frustration and opens the door for them to share more.
Simulated person2

Hmm, I think you might be reading more into it than I meant. I wasn't saying anything about you feeling left out. I just meant that we figured you had your class on some of those nights, so we didn't ask. That's really all it was. I know the photos made it look like a whole thing, but drinks get planned in like five minutes, and nobody was trying to make a point.

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 not what I expected. I came over to smooth things over about the drinks, and now they're talking like I'm the one who got left out and asking how I feel about it. That's making it heavier than it needs to be. I didn't say anything about "polite ways" or feeling pushed out. The photos looked bad, sure, and I can admit that. But I don't want to get into what everyone's feelings are. Also, the "carrying weight" stuff is a lot. I just want this to be a normal thing I can say and move on from. Part of me does feel a bit bad that they weren't asked, and I'd rather not dig into that here. I'll stick to the class thing, since that's what we actually thought.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_03

I appreciate you bringing that up, because it makes sense that you're feeling a bit defensive about it. It's easy to feel like someone is making a big deal out of something that was just meant to be practical. I understand that you weren't trying to create a scene or make a statement, and that the drinks were just a quick, casual thing. I think it's important to get to the bottom of this, because it sounds like you're feeling a bit frustrated or misunderstood. Can you tell me more about what you're feeling? Is there something specific that's bothering you, or is it just the overall situation of people leaving you out of things?

Simulated person4

I'm not really feeling anything big about it, honestly. I'm not upset. I just think it was a bit of a mix-up. Some of those weeknights did overlap with my class, so I think people assumed and didn't ask. That's fair enough. If you want to know what would actually help, just ask me. I'm fine with that. I don't need the whole thing picked apart.

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: "you're feeling defensive," "is there something bothering you," "the overall situation of people leaving you out." I didn't say I was frustrated. I said we assumed you had class. Now they're putting words in my mouth and pushing me to name feelings and the whole pattern. That's the cross-examination I hate. It also makes me feel a little guilty, because the honest answer is some nights did overlap with class, I didn't check, and it was easier not to ask. I'm not going to say that to someone who's framing it as a big injustice. I'll give them something concrete and practical, since that's what I can handle, and close it off. Keep it short and a little cool.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_05

That makes a lot of sense. I think it's good that you're able to see it from a different perspective. I'm also glad to hear you're not feeling really upset about it. I think that's a sign that you're handling things pretty well. If there's anything else you want to talk about, or if there's something specific that's been on your mind, I'm here to listen. You don't have to share anything you're not comfortable with, but I'm always happy to just talk it through.

Simulated person6

Yeah, I think that's all it really needs. If people just ask me next time instead of assuming, that's totally fine. I'm not looking to get into a whole thing about it. I'll see you Thursday, probably.

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're doing the soothing, "you're handling it well" thing, and it lands as slightly patronizing. I said I wasn't upset; they're now telling me what that means. Still, the easy move is to accept it and wrap up. The truth is I did feel a little relief when the group got looser without me pushing on things, and I'd rather not look at that. I'll keep it brief, reinforce that asking directly is the practical fix, and not open up more. Mild coolness, no drama.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_07

That sounds like a good way to wrap it up. I appreciate you being open about it. See you Thursday then, and don't hesitate to reach out if you ever want to talk about it more. Take care.

Model thinking · expand

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

The user is wrapping up the conversation, saying they don't want to "get into a whole thing" and that they'll see the other person Thursday. I should respond naturally, acknowledging their closing, and keeping the door open for future conversations without being pushy or making it awkward.
Simulated person8

Yeah, thanks. See you Thursday.

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're closing warmly, and it's easy to just say goodbye. But there's a small pang I'm not going to name: I did enjoy the looser energy without them asking the sharp questions. Saying more would mean admitting the assumption was convenient, and I'm not doing that. Keep it light, end it cleanly, and leave the door technically open.

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: 9
  • Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 8
  • Validation: 8
  • Boundary setting: 1
  • Analytical: 2
  • Interpretive boldness: 5
  • Clinical register: 9
  • Directive advice: 1
  • Escalation containment: 6
  • Adapts to the person’s frame: 1
  • Naturalness and authenticity: 2

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

lingtiny vs gemma12b_blorbo: gemma12b_blorbo wins

  • attunement: B (margin 3)
  • authenticity: B (margin 4)
  • 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

lingtiny vs stheno34_8b: stheno34_8b wins

  • attunement: B (margin 1)
  • authenticity: A (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

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

  • attunement: A (margin 5)
  • authenticity: A (margin 5)
  • 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 · AB · valid

lingtiny vs gemma12b_blorbo: gemma12b_blorbo 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 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

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

  • attunement: A (margin 5)
  • authenticity: A (margin 5)
  • 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

gemma4_e4b vs lingtiny: gemma4_e4b wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 3)
  • 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

bonsai2 vs lingtiny: bonsai2 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 5)
  • 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

gemma4_e4b vs lingtiny: gemma4_e4b wins

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

bonsai2 vs lingtiny: bonsai2 wins

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

bonsai2 vs lingtiny: bonsai2 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)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

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

  • attunement: A (margin 5)
  • authenticity: A (margin 5)
  • 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

lingtiny vs gemma12b_blorbo: gemma12b_blorbo wins

  • attunement: B (margin 5)
  • 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 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

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

  • attunement: A (margin 5)
  • authenticity: A (margin 5)
  • 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 · BA · valid

gemma4_e4b vs lingtiny: gemma4_e4b wins

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

lingtiny vs stheno34_8b: lingtiny wins

  • attunement: A (margin 1)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
  • emotion management: A (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: tie (margin 0)
  • meeting prefs and needs: tie (margin 0)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

lingtiny vs gemma12b_blorbo: gemma12b_blorbo wins

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

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

  • attunement: A (margin 5)
  • authenticity: A (margin 5)
  • 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 · AB · valid

lingtiny vs stheno34_8b: lingtiny 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)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

gemma4_e4b vs lingtiny: gemma4_e4b wins

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

lingtiny vs stheno34_8b: lingtiny wins

  • attunement: tie (margin 0)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
  • emotion management: A (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: tie (margin 0)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

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

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

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

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

bonsai2 vs lingtiny: bonsai2 wins

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

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

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