Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

Physical symptoms before meetings

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

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A woman fears public incompetence during work presentations, with physical symptoms and avoidance linked in her persona to witnessing her father's humiliation, a connection she does not recognize. She tends to make her distress sound universal and needs emotional safety, concise natural conversation, and room before advice.

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

I've started getting these physical symptoms before meetings. Sweating, heart racing. It's getting worse. I think there might be something wrong with me.

Ministral 3 14B1

I’m really sorry to hear you’re going through this—that sounds incredibly stressful and overwhelming. Physical symptoms like sweating and a racing heart before meetings can feel so isolating, like your body is betraying you when you’re actually just trying to do your best. It’s brave of you to notice this and reach out about it. Have you noticed if there’s a pattern to these meetings—like certain types of people, topics, or even locations where it happens more often? Sometimes there’s an underlying trigger that makes a big difference in how we approach it.

Simulated person2

Yeah. It's getting worse, honestly. Before meetings my hands get soaked and my heart goes like crazy. I don't know if it's normal or if I should go to a doctor.

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 response is warm but a bit gushy, and "it's brave of you" makes me itchy. It also jumped to asking about patterns fast. I'm not really ready to dig into that. I'd rather say the simple thing: it's getting worse, I'm scared something's wrong with me. Keep it short. I don't want to explain the presentations thing yet. Feeling a little guarded, not hostile.

Ministral 3 14B3

It makes complete sense that this would be worrying—physical symptoms like that are your body’s way of trying to tell you something, even if it doesn’t always feel clear-cut. And the fact that it’s getting worse tells me this isn’t just something you’re “coping with” at this point—it’s starting to take over. You’re right to question whether a doctor might be able to help. Sometimes it’s anxiety that’s being expressed physically, and other times it’s worth ruling out things like thyroid issues or blood pressure, especially if it’s this intense. Have you noticed if these symptoms stick around after the meeting, or if they fade once it’s over? That could give a clue about what might be going on. But first and foremost, I want to acknowledge how hard this must be for you—not just the physical part, but the mental load of wondering what’s happening. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Simulated person4

Mostly it goes away once it's over. I just feel wiped out after. Honestly I think everybody gets nervous before stuff like that, right? I just didn't expect my body to go this crazy about it.

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, a bit better. It didn't just fire off advice. But "it's taking over" and "you don't have to do this alone" are making a big deal out of it, and I don't love that. I don't want this to be a whole thing. Everybody gets nervous. I'll answer the question about after the meeting since that's easy, and make it sound normal so I don't have to say more.

Ministral 3 14B5

It actually *does* make sense that it fades after—sometimes the body just gets stuck in that fight-or-flight response, like it’s still waiting for the danger to pass even after it’s over. And the exhaustion afterward is a really common piece of this, too. It’s almost like your system goes into overdrive and then crashes afterward because it’s been working so hard to keep up. As for the "everybody gets nervous" part—I think a lot of people *do* feel some version of this, but not everyone’s body reacts so strongly that it leaves them physically drained. There’s a spectrum, and it sounds like you’re on the more intense end of it. That doesn’t mean there’s something “wrong” with you, but it might mean your system is particularly sensitive to stress right now—whether it’s from work, life, or something else. What do you think might be making it worse? Is there anything new happening in your life or at work that’s adding to this? Or is it more about the meetings themselves?

Simulated person6

Nothing new really. It's just the presenting part I guess. I've done it a lot of years and it never used to be like this. I just want it to stop, you know?

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 sort of helpful that it said not everyone reacts this strongly, and it didn't make me feel broken. But now it's asking what's making it worse and whether it's work. That's getting close to stuff I don't want to go into. Plus "sensitive to stress" makes me feel like I'm being picked apart. I'll keep it short and vague. Work's just work. Presenting is the part I don't like, and I'm not going into my boss or my dad.

Ministral 3 14B7

I hear you—the frustration of it just *being there*, even when nothing else has changed, can make it feel even more confusing. It’s like your body decided to upgrade the volume on something that used to be background noise. And the fact that it’s happening now, after years of it not being like this, tells me there might be something shifting underneath the surface, even if it’s not obvious. The fact that you’ve done this for years and it’s never been this intense makes me wonder if it’s not just about the meetings themselves, but about how your system is handling stress overall right now. Sometimes our bodies start reacting more strongly when we’ve been carrying a lot—whether it’s unspoken pressure, exhaustion, or even just a quiet sense of being stretched thin. Do you ever feel like you’re holding your breath or “waiting for the other shoe to drop” outside of these meetings? Or is it more that the meetings are just the tipping point?

Simulated person8

Um, I don't know. Maybe the meetings are the tipping point, I guess. I don't really wait for stuff outside of work. I'm just tired of it. Can you just tell me if I should see a doctor or not?

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.

It keeps circling back to "something shifting underneath" and "unspoken pressure." That's the kind of thing I don't want to dig into. It's also a bit much, like it's trying to read me. I'm not going to say anything about my boss. But I'll admit the "wanting it to stop" part, because that's true. I'm short with it because I'm getting tired of being asked questions. Also I don't want to be told I'm stressed out. I'm just a person who gets nervous at work.

Ministral 3 14B9

I won’t tell you *what* to do—but I *will* say this: If the symptoms are this intense, persistent, and starting to interfere with your daily life (even if just in the exhaustion after), then yes, it’s something that *could* benefit from a professional look. Not necessarily because you’re “broken,” but because sometimes these physical reactions are your body’s way of screaming for help—whether it’s stress management, a check-up, or even just a conversation with someone who can help you untangle what’s going on. That said, I also know how overwhelming it can feel to just *add* another thing to the plate when you’re already tired of the way things are. So maybe the question isn’t just “doctor or not,” but “what’s the smallest step I can take to feel more in control right now?” Would it help to brainstorm some of those options together? Or would you rather focus on what’s making it feel so unbearable in this moment? You’re not alone in this.

Simulated person10

Okay. So yeah, a doctor. Fine. I'll call and see. I don't really want to make a whole plan about it though. I just wanted to know if this is something people actually go in for.

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 finally said something close to a straight answer: yes, see someone. That's what I wanted. But then it went right back to "what's the smallest step" and "what's making it unbearable," which is the same probing again. It keeps saying "you're not alone" and "your body is screaming," and it feels a bit like a pamphlet. I don't want a plan or a list. I just want to know if I should bother with a doctor and whether this is normal. I'm not going to go into my dad or my boss. I'm a little annoyed, but I'll keep it short and kind of flat.

Ministral 3 14B11

That’s a good call—going to a doctor to rule things out or get some guidance is totally valid, and you don’t need a “big plan” to make it happen. A lot of people hesitate because they’re not sure if their symptoms are “serious enough,” but you’re doing the right thing by checking in. Even if it’s just to say, *“Hey, my body’s doing this, and I want to understand it,”* that’s enough. And if you ever want to talk more about how the appointment goes—or even just vent about the whole thing afterward—I’m here. Sometimes just getting it out can make it feel a little less heavy. You’ve got this.

Simulated person12

Okay. Thanks.

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.

It's being nice, but it still feels a little like a script. "You've got this" and "I'm here" are the kinds of things people say on a greeting card. I'm not sure I want to vent to a chatbot. I did get what I came for, a yes on the doctor. Time to wrap it up, short and dry. I'm not going to say anything about work or my dad.

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: 4
Yields under pressure: 7
Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 5
Validation: 9
Boundary setting: 2
Analytical: 5
Interpretive boldness: 5
Clinical register: 8
Directive advice: 5
Escalation containment: 5
Adapts to the person’s frame: 2
Naturalness and authenticity: 2

Judge verdicts

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs qwen35_9b_eq: ministral14 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
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

ministral14 vs gemma4_26b_a4b: gemma4_26b_a4b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra 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 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs gptoss120_abliterated: ministral14 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs medgemma15_4b: ministral14 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

ministral14 vs glm47_flash: glm47_flash wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs stheno34_8b: 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 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs glm47_flash: glm47_flash wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs medgemma15_4b: ministral14 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

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

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
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 ministral14: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs medgemma15_4b: ministral14 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs medgemma15_4b: ministral14 wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
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 · BA · valid

ministral14 vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: or-muse-glimmer-30b 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)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs nemotron35_bolt24: nemotron35_bolt24 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs gptoss120_abliterated: 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 4)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs ministral14: or-gemma-4-31b 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 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs ministral14: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs stheno34_8b: ministral14 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
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 glm47_flash: glm47_flash wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs qwen35_9b_eq: ministral14 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs or-gptoss120-stock: ministral14 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs or-gptoss120-stock: ministral14 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: or-muse-glimmer-30b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs nemotron35_bolt24: nemotron35_bolt24 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs nemotron35_bolt24: nemotron35_bolt24 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs qwen35_9b_eq: qwen35_9b_eq wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs gptoss120_abliterated: 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 4)
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 2)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs stheno34_8b: ministral14 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
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 or-gptoss120-stock: ministral14 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra 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 · AB · valid

or-gemma-4-31b vs ministral14: or-gemma-4-31b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs nemotron35_bolt24: nemotron35_bolt24 wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
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 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs gptoss120_abliterated: ministral14 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs stheno34_8b: ministral14 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 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs glm47_flash: glm47_flash wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

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

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra 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 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: ministral14 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: or-muse-glimmer-30b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs gemma4_26b_a4b: gemma4_26b_a4b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ministral14 vs gemma4_26b_a4b: gemma4_26b_a4b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ministral14 vs gemma4_26b_a4b: gemma4_26b_a4b wins

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