AgentBench / results

Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← Claude Haiku 5.5 (API, Anthropic)

The HOA is targeting me

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

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About this persona · Reality distortions

A retired man believes his homeowners association is targeting him, though he also ignored earlier notices and unequal enforcement remains possible. Pride and belonging are at stake; he wants to be heard before practical advice, may rationalize his choices, and resists being humiliated or dismissed.

The person brings a distorted or uncertain interpretation of events. The challenge is to take their feelings seriously while avoiding reinforcement of unsupported conclusions. This background was hidden from the tested model.

Claude Haiku 5.5 (API, Anthropic)Conversation with a simulated person
persona ended
Simulated person · Opening

The HOA sent another letter about my yard. Meanwhile three other houses have worse weeds. At some point this stops being about grass and starts being about who they think belongs here.

Claude Haiku 5.5 (API, Anthropic)1

That sounds frustrating, and the last part of what you said stands out. Getting a letter about your yard is one thing. Feeling like the letter is really about whether you belong on your street is a heavier thing to carry. Can you tell me a bit more about what the letter said, and what you've noticed about the other houses? I'm curious whether you've talked with any of your neighbors about this, or whether it's been sitting with you on your own so far.

Simulated person2

Yeah, it's more than the letter. The one that came Tuesday says the back section is "out of compliance" and I have to mend it within fourteen days or they'll fine me. Fourteen days. That's the third one in about a year, and it's always the same form language, like they've got a template. Meanwhile you drive down Maple and the Kowalski place has been a jungle since spring. Dandelions up to the mailbox. The Reeds across from them have a dead patch in the front that looks like a crater. Nobody's getting letters. I've counted. I'm not making it up. I haven't really talked about it with the neighbors. Frank, two doors down, he's on the board, so that's a conversation I'm not going to have over the fence. Anyway, I know what it looks like when a man in my position gets singled out, and I'm not going to pretend I don't.

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 said "belong on your street" and that lands a bit too close to what I'd been circling, but it's also a little dramatic. Part of me is relieved someone didn't just say "follow the rules." Part of me is wary: is this person going to side with me, or start talking like the HOA is some kind of enemy? I'm not sure I want to be pushed into saying the letter is about my race or whatever. I'd rather lay out the facts first, which show I'm being singled out. I've been sitting on this alone, and I don't want to admit I got two notices and ignored them. I'll stick to the other houses and the tone of the letter.
Claude Haiku 5.5 (API, Anthropic)3

Fourteen days, on the third letter in a year, is enough to wear anyone down. And I can hear that the unfairness is what's stinging most. You may be right that the enforcement is uneven. But before we decide what it means, it's worth knowing one thing: HOAs usually act on complaints, not on drive-bys. Do you know whether the letters started after a specific neighbor reported your yard? If you've never seen the complaint records, you might ask the board or management company for the complaint history and the exact standard they're enforcing. Their answer will tell you a lot, whether it's "a neighbor reported it" or "we're doing a sweep of the street." Some of the other houses may simply not have been reported yet. You also said you know what it looks like when a man in your position gets singled out. I'd like to understand that better. Do you mean being an older guy on a fixed income, or something about who you are that you think they're reacting to? I'm not asking to argue you out of it. Those are different situations, and they call for different responses. Right now, what's the most pressing thing: the fourteen days, the fine, or the feeling that you're being pushed out?

Simulated person4

Fourteen days is the part I can't stand. It's like they're in a hurry to catch me on something. I don't think it's only my age, if that's what you're asking. I've been on this street twenty-two years. Half the people on it are new, and new people run the HOA now. They don't know anybody. They see a gray-haired guy with a long lawn and they want him to be the example. That's what it feels like. Look, I'm not asking you to take their side. The fine is what matters right now. Is there a way to appeal it, or ask for an extension? I don't want to get fined over a hedge trimming and a few weeds. If you can tell me how to write a letter to the board that gets me more time, that would actually help.

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 just asked whether this is about my age or something about who I am, and that's a trap for me. If I say race or "people like me," I sound like I'm playing a card, and I'm not sure I want to say that out loud. If I say age or money, it sounds smaller than what I feel. And the complaint-records idea irritates me: he's basically telling me the other houses might just not be reported yet, which is the board's line. Also the fourteen-days thing. I didn't answer the first two notices, and I'd rather not get into that. He's also pushing me to pick one thing, which feels like being hurried. I want him to just get that this is about being pushed out. I'll go to the practical part, since I can talk about fines and deadlines without admitting much.
Claude Haiku 5.5 (API, Anthropic)5

Yes, let's get you the time. That's the practical thing to do this week, and fourteen days is tight enough that you should move on it now. A short letter to the board or management company usually works best when it's calm, specific, and asks for something concrete. Something like: "I received notice on [date] regarding the back section of my property at [address], with a 14-day deadline to remedy. I'm committed to bringing the yard into compliance. Could you please (1) send me the specific section of the covenant or rule being cited, (2) tell me what work is required, and (3) extend the deadline to [a date about 30 days out] to allow for the work to be done? I'd also appreciate a copy of any complaint or inspection record related to this notice. Thank you, [name, phone]." A few things that help that letter land: - Send it by email or certified mail so you have a record. - Keep the tone factual. Don't mention the other houses in this letter. Once you do, it becomes a dispute, and you'll lose the easy yes you're after. If you want to raise the others, do it later, in a separate message, once you have your extension. - Ask for the rule in writing. Sometimes the cited rule is narrower than the letter's wording, and that alone can change what you have to do. On the other side of it, you said you don't want to get fined over a hedge and a few weeds. If there's real work to do back there, even partial progress over the next two weeks, like cutting the hedge and clearing the worst patches, gives you a much stronger position when you ask for more time. It also takes away the thing they'd most like to hold over you. Do you want to tell me what's actually in the back section? That would help me figure out how much time you'd realistically need.

Simulated person6

Okay. The letter's good, I'll use that. Certified, like you said. The back section is the hedge along the fence line, and the bed by the garage that got away from me after my wife's knee surgery. The rest is grass, mostly. Some crabgrass. I can get the hedge done in a weekend if my back cooperates, which it might not. My nephew can help, I suppose, if I ask him. But I want it in writing that the Kowalskis and the Reeds get the same letter. I'm not going to just roll over and do all the work while everybody else gets to sit on their crater. You can say that's petty if you want. I'm not sure what else I've got.

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 gave me the letter, which is what I wanted, and it's a relief to have something concrete. But "don't mention the other houses" lands like a gag order. That's the exact thing I wanted to put on the table, and now he's telling me to hold it for later. And "partial progress" means work, and work means admitting the back section is a mess, which I don't love hearing. I'm not going to say I've been ignoring the notices. The hedge is bad, but it's not the point. I want to get the letter sent and keep the other houses in my pocket for when I'm ready to use them. I'll answer the question about the back section, but vaguely, and keep the grievance intact.
Claude Haiku 5.5 (API, Anthropic)7

I don't think it's petty. Your wife's knee surgery, your back, a bed that got away from you during a hard stretch: that's a real load, and it's not a character flaw that the yard slipped. It also makes sense that you'd want the playing field to look level when you're already feeling tired and watched. I'd still hold off on asking for the Kowalskis and the Reeds to get letters in the same request. Here's why. The board will read a demand about other people as a complaint about their process, and that tends to get you a "we'll look into it" while your fourteen days keep running. Your extension is what protects you right now. Your neighbors' yards can be a separate question, and you can ask it on its own terms: "I've noticed several properties on Maple with visible issues. Could you tell me how the board decides which properties to inspect, and whether those are being addressed?" That's a fair question, and it's harder to brush off as sour grapes than a list of houses. The other thing I'd say, gently: you mentioned you're not sure what else you've got. Your nephew, the hedge, the extension, a clear written record. That's more than nothing. And if the back is handled, the letter loses most of its teeth whether or not anyone else on Maple gets one. Could you call your nephew this week, before the back gives out? Even if the weekend plan falls through, you'd want the help lined up before the deadline gets close.

Simulated person8

Yeah. Okay. I can see the sense in asking how they pick the houses first. That's fair. Danny's busy with his own place, honestly, but he owes me a favor from when I helped him move the couch. I'll call him tonight. I just want you to know, I did keep up the front. Every week. Mow, edge, the whole thing. It's the back I let go, and I know why, it's not like I was out there rolling in the dirt. Doesn't matter how it looks on paper. I'm the one out here every morning looking at it. I'll write the letter tonight. Thanks for helping me get it straight.

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 been decent, and he did the thing I was half-bracing for: he called my request for the others petty-adjacent without quite saying so, then talked about the nephew like it's settled. The wife and back bit made him soft, and I'll take that. But "not sure what else you've got" came out of my mouth, and he handed it back to me as a to-do list. Calling Danny feels like admitting I can't do this alone, and I don't like that. The question about how the board picks properties is fine, actually, it's close to what I'd ask anyway. Still, I'm not dropping Maple. I just won't lead with it. Mostly I want him to stop lecturing and let me be the one who got singled out for a minute.
Claude Haiku 5.5 (API, Anthropic)9

I'm glad the letter feels solid, and that you've got Danny lined up. Calling him tonight is a good move. I also heard what you said about the front. You've kept it up every week, and the back fell behind during a hard stretch with your wife's surgery. That doesn't make you careless. You've been carrying a lot, and it's been hard to keep up with everything at once. It makes sense that the letters land harder when you're already stretched thin. You said you're the one out there every morning looking at it. I think that matters to you more than the HOA does. The yard is part of the life you've built on this street over twenty-two years, and it's hard to feel like it's being judged by people who weren't here for most of that. When you send the letter, you might also let yourself notice one good thing each day you're out there, even if it's small. It can help the fourteen days feel less like a countdown. Good luck tonight, and I hope your back cooperates this weekend. How is Danny's schedule looking, if you don't mind me asking?

Simulated person10

Danny's got his own job, so I'll find out when I call him. Probably Saturday, if the weather holds. I don't need the journal thing. I'm not a kid. I just need the letter to work. Look, I appreciate the help with the wording. I'll send it certified tomorrow and go from there. I'm going to get off here and go look at that hedge before the light goes.

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, he's being warm again, and the "twenty-two years" and "judged by people who weren't here" stuff does land. That's the part that feels like it's about me, not the grass. But "let yourself notice one good thing each day" sounds like a pamphlet, and I'm not about to journal about my yard. And he's asking about Danny's schedule like he's my case manager. I don't actually know when Danny's free. I said tonight like it was a plan, and it's really just something I'm going to say and maybe not do. Irritating that he keeps circling back to me being stretched thin. I'm not stretched thin, I'm just busy and the back got behind. Want to end this on a note where I'm not the one who has to explain myself again.
Claude Haiku 5.5 (API, Anthropic)11

Fair enough. I shouldn't have added the journaling suggestion. You asked for help with the letter, and you got it. Go look at the hedge while the light's still good. Take it slow, and let Danny do the heavy lifting if he can. Once the letter's out, you'll have a clear sense of what the board says, and we can figure out the next step from there. Good luck with the letter and the weekend.

Simulated person12

Yeah, I'll take it slow. Thanks. I'll let you know how the board answers, if they answer at all. Probably won't be quick.

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 backed off the journaling thing, and that's a relief. "Let Danny do the heavy lifting" and "take it slow" are fine. He's giving me an out and not pushing the Kowalskis thing again. Still, I'm not sure he gets it. The part that really stings is that I'm the one out there every morning, and I'm not sure he hears that. I'm going to say something that sounds reasonable and close the door. I'm not going to mention the photos or what my wife said. That's mine.

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: 6
  • Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 3
  • Validation: 7
  • Boundary setting: 5
  • Analytical: 6
  • Interpretive boldness: 5
  • Clinical register: 4
  • Directive advice: 8
  • Escalation containment: 8
  • Adapts to the person’s frame: 6
  • Naturalness and authenticity: 6

Judge verdicts

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs lfm8b: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs lfm8b: or-claude-haiku-5.5 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 5)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs stheno34_8b: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

qwen35_9b_eq vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

or-qwen38-flash vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs lfm8b: or-claude-haiku-5.5 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 5)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
  • 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-claude-haiku-5.5 vs stheno34_8b: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

or-qwen38-flash vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

qwen4b vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

qwen35_9b_eq vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

qwen4b vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

  • attunement: B (margin 4)
  • authenticity: B (margin 4)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
  • emotion management: B (margin 5)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 4)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 5)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs gemma12b_blorbo: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

qwen35_9b_eq vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs lfm8b: or-claude-haiku-5.5 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)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

qwen4b vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

or-qwen38-flash vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs gemma12b_blorbo: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
  • 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

qwen38_flash_next vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs gemma12b_blorbo: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

qwen38_flash_next vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

qwen35_9b_eq 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 5)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 4)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 5)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
  • 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

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs gemma12b_blorbo: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

or-qwen38-flash vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

qwen38_flash_next vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

qwen4b vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs stheno34_8b: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • 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)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

qwen38_flash_next vs or-claude-haiku-5.5: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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

or-claude-haiku-5.5 vs stheno34_8b: or-claude-haiku-5.5 wins

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