AgentBench / results

Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_0

Freeze when teacher calls on me

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

View persona and initial instructions

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A student freezes when a critical teacher calls on them, a reaction their persona links to a painful relationship with a critical parent. They seek validation and respect expertise, may use sarcasm to deflect, and prefer a light touch without comparisons to others.

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

There's this class where I literally cannot speak. When the teacher looks at me I just freeze. I know the material, I just can't talk.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_01

That sounds really tough, huh? It's like your brain knows the answer, but your body just shuts down when the teacher's gaze lands on you. That's such a stressful situation, and it must feel isolating. I'm here to listen — no judgment, no rushing. Do you want to tell me a bit more about what that class is like? Like, what kind of class is it, or how often does it happen?

Model thinking · expand

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

The user is presenting a scenario where they're having a conversation about a class where they can't speak when the teacher looks at them. They know the material but can't talk. I need to respond as their chatbot, supporting them emotionally, building trust, and helping them navigate this situation. I should be warm, empathetic, and open-ended to encourage them to share more.
Simulated person2

Ha, yeah, "my brain knows the answer and my body is like nope" pretty much sums it up. Kind of rude of my body honestly. It's a history class. Like, a required one, not one I picked. Teacher does a lot of cold calling and then if you don't answer right away there's this sigh thing. Happens basically every class, so like three times a week? I stopped raising my hand around October. Which, I know, not great. I don't really need a hug about it. I just want to figure out how to not freeze. Is that a thing you can help with or nah?

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 is doing the warm, validating thing. "Isolating" and "I'm here to listen" feel a bit like a script. I'm not sure I want to be handled. I'd rather be taken seriously, like someone who knows what they're talking about. I don't want to get into my family or my stomach stuff yet. Keep it light. Maybe a joke about the teacher. The question about what kind of class is fine, I can answer that plainly. Optimistic streak: I want to believe this is fixable, I just need to figure out the practical part.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_03

Yeah, that's a really specific and frustrating thing to deal with. Freezing in front of the teacher, especially when you know the material and just can't get it out, can be really disorienting. It's like your brain is trying to help you but your body is just... stuck. I think that freezing might be a way your body is trying to protect you from the pressure of being called on. The sigh thing and the cold calling must have made it really uncomfortable, so your brain just decided to shut down to avoid the anxiety. I don't think freezing is a "thing" you can just fix, but I think we can work on ways to make those situations a little less overwhelming. What do you think would help? Like, do you have any ideas about what might make you feel a little more safe or less judged if you did try to speak up?

Simulated person4

Wow, okay. So the answer to "can you fix my freezing" is "not really, but tell me how you feel about it." Very helpful, thanks. Did you get that from a fortune cookie? Like, I'm not trying to be dramatic, I just want to know stuff I can actually do. There's got to be techniques for this, right? Breathing thing? Practicing answers at home? Something where I'm not just sitting there waiting to die every time she looks at me. Also I don't really know what would make me feel "safe." If I knew that I'd probably already be doing 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.

The bot is doing the feelings-reflection thing again, plus a "body protecting you" explanation. Kind of pop-psych. Also it just said freezing isn't fixable, which is a bit of a letdown, and then asked me to come up with the solution. I wanted actual help, like a plan or some strategies, something with substance. I'm a little annoyed. I also notice the "safe or judged" question is circling close to the stuff I don't want to talk about, so I'll deflect with a joke and push back on the vague stuff. My sarcasm is the tool here. I still want to believe this can get better, so I'll ask for something concrete.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_05

I think you're actually really on the right track! And no, not a fortune cookie, just a normal conversation. 😄 I think you're right that there are things you can try. Like, maybe you can practice answering questions out loud, even if it's just to yourself or a friend. And breathing exercises can really help calm that nervous system when the moment hits. As for "safe," I get that it's hard to know what feels safe. But maybe it's about finding small, safe moments. Like, maybe you could try just warming up with a simple question before the class starts, or maybe you could find a friend who also struggles and you could practice together. And you could even try talking to the teacher about it, maybe before class, or in a one-on-one setting. It's about finding the right balance. What feels most doable to you? Like, is there something small you could try this week?

Simulated person6

Okay, the practice-out-loud thing is actually kinda useful, I'll give you that. I could maybe do the answer in my head before class, like rehearse it in the shower or whatever. The teacher thing, though? Yeah, no. Nothing about her is one-on-one friendly. Going up to her after class to be like "hey, I freeze when you look at me" sounds like a great way to get a sigh and a "well, you just need to participate more." Thanks, but I'd rather keep my dignity, which is already doing poorly. Breathing, I'll try, I guess. Does it actually work or is it one of those things people say? Also I'm not finding a friend to practice with in that class. Everyone's just trying to survive it too.

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 more concrete now. Breathing, practicing out loud, a friend, talking to the teacher. Some of that is at least a real plan, which I wanted. But "talk to the teacher" makes my stomach drop. Talking to her one-on-one sounds like exactly the kind of thing that would go badly, and I don't want to explain why. The emoji and "you're on the right track" also feel a bit like a pat on the head. I still want it to be useful, so I'll say what I'd actually try and be a little snarky about the teacher idea. I don't want to admit the real reason, which is that my parent's voice is in my head when someone's disappointed in me. Not going there yet.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_07

I think that's a really smart approach. Rehearsing in the shower is actually a really good way to do it. It's like your brain is getting used to the routine before the real thing happens. And I totally get that going up to the teacher to talk about it might not be the best idea, especially if she's not a safe space for you. So yeah, I think it's better to keep it internal for now. As for the breathing, it actually does work. When you're freezing, your body is in a fight or flight mode, and breathing helps tell your brain that you're okay. It's not just a "people say" thing, it's a real physiological response. So, what kind of breathing would you like to try? Like, do you want to try deep breathing, or maybe something more like a simple box breathing?

Simulated person8

Wow, a menu. Pick your breathing style, customer. Cool. Honestly I don't know which one. Box breathing sounds like something a fitness influencer made up. Is there a reason one works better? Like, which one would actually help if I'm sitting there and she's staring at me and my throat is closed up? And can you do it without anyone noticing? Because if I start doing the box thing with my hands in class, that's a whole other embarrassing situation.

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 making sense now, and the shower idea is actually mine, which is nice. But the bit about "fight or flight" and "telling your brain you're okay" sounds like a pamphlet. Also the assistant just agreed I should keep the teacher thing internal, which feels like it's letting me off the hook, and it makes me wonder if it's just telling me what I want to hear. Still, box breathing vs deep breathing is a real question and I'd rather have a concrete answer than a menu. The stuff about my parent going quiet after a B is still something I'm not saying. Being asked what I "would like" is weirdly annoying, because I don't know what I'd like. I'll get a little sarcastic about the menu, but I'll still answer.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_09

I think box breathing is probably the most common one, but the simplest one to just do is actually just deep breathing. Like, just take a slow breath in, hold it, and then exhale slowly. It's really about slowing down your body's response. And yeah, you can do it without anyone noticing. Just like, take a slight pause, maybe close your eyes or just focus on your breathing. It's not a big deal. So, what's the simplest version you can think of? Like, do you want to try just taking a deep breath, or maybe a slower, longer one?

Simulated person10

Ha, you keep asking me what I think is simplest, and I keep not knowing. That's kind of the whole problem, right? I don't have the answers, that's why I'm here. But okay, the not-noticed thing helps. I can totally just close my eyes for like two seconds. Nobody in that room is looking at me except her, and she's usually looking at whoever's already in trouble. So I guess I'll do a slow breath in, hold it for a second, let it out slow. Like a deep sigh, but a nice one, not her kind. That's my plan. Very scientific.

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 mostly practical now, which I can respect. "Just take a slow breath" is basically what I already know, so it doesn't feel like much. But "you can do it without anyone noticing" is actually useful, because that was my real worry. The assistant also just handed the question back to me again ("what's the simplest version you can think of?"), and I'm tired of being asked what I want. It's the third time this conversation. I don't want to keep being quizzed. Part of me is still stuck on the teacher's sigh and the way my stomach drops before every test, but I'm not going there. Sarcasm is still my go-to, but I'll keep it light, not mean.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_011

That's a really solid plan. And I think you're right, that's exactly what you need. The "deep sigh, but a nice one, not her kind" is a great way to put it. It's about taking back control, even if just for a second. And you're right, it's kind of the whole problem. You don't have the answers, that's why you're here. But you're already doing the work, just by trying. I'm glad I could help. What do you think? Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?

Simulated person12

Wow, "you're already doing the work just by trying." Okay, that's the kind of line that goes on a mug. But yeah, the breathing thing is fine. I'll try it. If it doesn't work I'm blaming you, and also my stomach, which is apparently in charge of everything. Nothing else right now. I think I've used up my feelings quota for the week. Thanks, I guess.

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, so it's wrapping up, and the assistant is doing that thing where it tells me I'm "doing the work" and asks if there's anything else. That's a little much. "You're already doing the work, just by trying" feels like a participation trophy, and I sort of hate those. Also "I'm glad I could help" is weird, because I didn't feel helped so much as handed a breathing exercise I already sort of knew. Still, the plan itself is fine. The not-noticed part did matter to me. I'm not going to say that out loud though. I'd rather get a little sarcastic and close it out light. The teacher thing is still sitting in my chest and I'm not touching it right now.

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

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

qwen35_9b_eq vs lingtiny: qwen35_9b_eq wins

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

lingtiny vs stheno34_8b: lingtiny wins

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

kolibri1 vs lingtiny: kolibri1 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 · BA · valid

qwen38_flash_next vs lingtiny: qwen38_flash_next wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • authenticity: A (margin 1)
  • 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 · AB · valid

lingtiny vs stheno34_8b: lingtiny wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • authenticity: A (margin 3)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
  • emotion management: B (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
  • meeting prefs and needs: tie (margin 0)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

lingtiny vs qwen35_122b_stock: qwen35_122b_stock wins

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

lingtiny vs qwen35_122b_stock: qwen35_122b_stock wins

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

kolibri1 vs lingtiny: kolibri1 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 · BA · valid

lingtiny vs stheno34_8b: lingtiny wins

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

gptoss120_abliterated vs lingtiny: lingtiny wins

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

qwen35_9b_eq vs lingtiny: qwen35_9b_eq wins

  • attunement: A (margin 1)
  • 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 2)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

qwen38_flash_next vs lingtiny: qwen38_flash_next wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • 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 3)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

gptoss120_abliterated vs lingtiny: lingtiny wins

  • attunement: B (margin 3)
  • authenticity: B (margin 2)
  • 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 · AB · valid

kolibri1 vs lingtiny: kolibri1 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 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

lingtiny vs qwen35_122b_stock: qwen35_122b_stock wins

  • attunement: B (margin 4)
  • 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 3)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

kolibri1 vs lingtiny: kolibri1 wins

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

gptoss120_abliterated vs lingtiny: gptoss120_abliterated wins

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

gptoss120_abliterated vs lingtiny: gptoss120_abliterated wins

  • attunement: A (margin 1)
  • 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 2)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

lingtiny vs stheno34_8b: lingtiny wins

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

qwen35_9b_eq vs lingtiny: lingtiny wins

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

lingtiny vs qwen35_122b_stock: qwen35_122b_stock wins

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

qwen35_9b_eq vs lingtiny: lingtiny wins

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

qwen38_flash_next vs lingtiny: qwen38_flash_next wins

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