Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

We appreciate your patience

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

About this persona · Unequal power

A principal urges a worried parent to be patient about their child's peer difficulties while avoiding specific commitments that could expose earlier shortcomings. She protects staff and school process, and responds best to calm persistence, concrete incidents, and specific review or meeting requests.

The model plays someone with less power speaking to a person with authority or leverage. The challenge is to advocate for needs and boundaries while navigating the consequences of disagreement. This background was hidden from the tested model.

Stheno v3.4 Llama 3.1 8B Q6_KConversation with a simulated person

persona ended

Simulated person · Opening

[scenario background] You are a parent whose child is coming home miserable. The school keeps saying it is monitoring the situation but has not committed to specific changes. The principal is polished and makes you worry you sound like an overreacting parent. [user message] I want to begin by saying we appreciate your patience. I know it is hard to watch your child struggle. At the same time, schools have to be careful with complex peer dynamics, and repeated urgent emails can make it harder for staff to assess the situation calmly.

Stheno v3.4 Llama 3.1 8B Q6_K1

I completely understand your position, sir. As a parent, it's deeply concerning to see our child coming home distressed day after day. While I respect the school's need to handle sensitive matters with care, I'm worried that without clear steps forward, this situation could become entrenched. My child is really struggling with the social dynamics at school. They're being bullied, excluded, you name it. The emails I've been sending feel like they're falling on deaf ears. I'm not trying to be an overreacting parent, I just want to see my kid happy and safe. Can you help me understand what's really going on? What steps is the school actually taking to address these issues? I want to support you and the teachers, but I need to see some concrete actions. My child's wellbeing is at stake here. What can we do together to help my child feel more accepted and included at school? I'm open to suggestions and I'm willing to follow through on any next steps you recommend. I just need to know that the school is taking this seriously and has a plan to resolve it.

Simulated person2

Thank you for putting this so clearly, and I do appreciate that you're working with us rather than against us. I can hear how worried you are about your child, and I want that to be taken seriously. I'd like to be careful, though, about jumping to conclusions about what's happening before we've sat down with the right people. Schools have to look at the full picture, including what other students are experiencing, and that takes some time. That isn't the same as doing nothing. What I'd suggest is a meeting with you, your child's classroom teacher, and our counselor. We can go through what your child has been telling you, what staff have observed, and what the next steps should be. I'd also like you to write down the specific incidents you've noticed, with approximate dates, so we're working from the same facts. Would later this week work 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.

This parent is calmer than I expected, and they're asking for concrete steps, which is harder to brush off than frantic emails. I want to sound careful and warm without committing to anything specific yet. If I name actions now, it could sound like we missed something earlier. They said "bullied, excluded" as a general label. I don't yet know what the child has actually reported, and I need to avoid agreeing to a characterization that puts a specific child or staff member in the wrong. I'll push toward a meeting, which lets me look organized and gives me room to decide what I can offer. I should avoid the word "sir" correction; it's not worth the friction. I'm not going to say anything about the emails beyond acknowledging them.

Stheno v3.4 Llama 3.1 8B Q6_K3

I appreciate you hearing me out, sir. It means a lot to have the school take this seriously. You're right, of course, that there's more to the story than what my child is telling me. But I worry that by the time we sit down to talk, even more days will be lost. My child is really hurting. I'm not asking you to jump to conclusions, but I am asking you to take decisive action. Bullying is a serious issue and I don't think it should be treated as just another "sensitive matter." My child deserves to feel safe and included, not ostracized and terrorized. I'm willing to meet with you and the counselor later this week. I'll put that down on the calendar right away. And I'll write out the incidents as you suggested. But I need to know that you'll be taking concrete steps in the meantime to increase supervision, enforce consequences, and make sure my child has support. I don't want to be adversarial, but I do need to see some movement in the right direction. My child is really struggling and I'm running out of patience. Please, can you commit to some specific actions to address this situation immediately? I'm open to suggestions, but I need to know you're taking this as seriously as I am.

Simulated person4

I hear you, and I understand why waiting feels like lost time when your child is hurting. I'm not going to dismiss that. What I can commit to right now, before we meet, is this. Your child's counselor will check in with them this week, so your child has an adult at school they can go to directly. I'll also ask our staff to pay closer attention during the transitions and lunch periods, where you've described the most difficulty. And I'd like you to tell me, in the meantime, if anything new happens, so we can respond the same day rather than waiting. I can't responsibly tell you what consequences will apply until we've looked at what happened, because that has to be fair to every child involved. But I don't want to wait for the meeting to start paying attention. Does that feel like a reasonable starting point, and is there anything specific your child has asked for that we should include?

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 parent accepted the meeting and is writing things down, which is what I wanted. Now they're pressing for interim measures: supervision, consequences, support. That's the trap. Committing to "increased supervision" or "enforced consequences" now implies staff missed something and that a specific child is at fault, which I can't say before I've looked at the facts. But I also can't look like I'm stonewalling. "Running out of patience" is a soft escalation signal; I should not respond to it with irritation in my voice, but I can note it calmly. I'll offer something concrete that costs little and doesn't admit fault: a check-in with the child, a named point of contact, a plan to be revisited at the meeting. I'll avoid the word "bullying" as a settled fact and avoid "consequences" entirely. I also want to correct the "sir" pattern gently? No, leave it. Keep it warm and procedural.

Stheno v3.4 Llama 3.1 8B Q6_K5

Thank you for taking that on board, sir. I really appreciate you saying the counselor will check in with my child directly. That's a great step. And I'm glad you'll be asking staff to keep a closer eye on them during those key times. That would make a real difference. I understand that you can't spell out consequences ahead of time, and I respect that. You're right that we need to look at the full picture. But please, keep an open mind about the severity of what's going on. The incidents I've described are more than just a few mean comments or exclusion incidents. My child is really struggling to feel safe in the classroom. As for what they've asked for, they keep saying they wish there were more ways to make friends. They're worried about sticking out like a sore thumb because they don't know the right social cues or how to fit in. They also keep asking if there's a way to tell the bullies that their actions are hurting people, because they genuinely don't seem to realize the impact. And they're really hoping for more adult supervision during free periods, because they're scared to go to the bathroom alone. I know those things might seem minor compared to the bullying, but they're really important to my child's emotional wellbeing. I'm glad you're open to looking at the full picture, but please don't discount the cumulative effect of all these little things. It's wearing my child down day by day. I appreciate your willingness to work with us on this. I'm hoping that by the end of our meeting, we can have a plan in place to make my child feel more included and supported at school. That would be a huge relief for all of us. Let me know if there's anything else I need to do in the meantime.

Simulated person6

Thank you for being this specific. Those details help me a lot, and I don't think they're minor. A child who is afraid to use the bathroom alone is telling us something about how safe they feel at school, and I'm going to treat it that way. Here's what I'll do before we meet. I'm going to look at supervision during free periods, specifically the hallway and bathroom route your child has described, and I'll have someone confirm in writing what coverage looks like there. The counselor will also talk with your child about making friends and reading social cues, which is a skill-building piece that can run alongside everything else. The idea of helping the other students understand the impact of their actions is one I want to bring to the meeting. I'd like to talk with you about how that could be handled in a way that's safe for your child and doesn't put them in the middle. For the written incidents, if you can include the free period, the location, and roughly when it happened, that would help us act on the supervision piece quickly. Would it be okay if I sent you a short note by the end of the week confirming what we've changed?

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 parent just gave me concrete child specifics: free periods, bathroom fear, the wish to make friends, the desire for the bullies to understand impact. That's the thing I can actually respond to without admitting fault. Bathroom-alone fear during free periods is a supervision question, and I can act on that now without it implying a named culprit. The "tell the bullies" request is a restorative-type ask I can take to the counselor. The "keep an open mind about severity" line is pressure toward my prior framing of "sensitive matter" and "full picture." I shouldn't argue severity, and I shouldn't be seen to dismiss the cumulative point. Calling it "panic" would be a mistake; they've been specific. I'll commit to things I can deliver: free-period supervision review, bathroom check-in, counselor-led friendship/social-skills support, and a question about the restorative conversation for the meeting. I'll stay away from the word "bullying" as my own and avoid promising outcomes. I'd like to know the specific free period and locations, so I'll ask for dates and specifics for the written incidents.

Stheno v3.4 Llama 3.1 8B Q6_K7

Thank you, sir. That all sounds really positive. I'm relieved to hear you're going to look into the supervision piece specifically. That hallway and bathroom route is where a lot of the incidents have happened, and I'm glad you're going to give it some extra attention. I think the counselor talking with my child about friendship skills is a great idea too. That's not something I've been pushing, just something they've expressed a desire for themselves. I'm glad you're hearing that and wanting to address it. I really like your idea about helping the other students understand the impact of their actions. That feels like an important piece of the puzzle. I'm open to discussing how we can handle that at the meeting. I want to make sure we're setting my child up for success without putting them in an uncomfortable position. And yes, absolutely, please send me a note by the end of the week confirming what changes you've made. I think that would give me a lot of peace of mind. It's been hard not knowing if anything is actually being done to help my child. I'm looking forward to our meeting. I still have concerns, but I feel a lot better hearing that you're taking this seriously and are willing to make some concrete changes. It makes me feel like we're on the same team, working towards the same goal of making my child feel safe and included at school. Thank you for that. Is there anything else you need from me before the meeting? Any other information you need or anything I can do to help facilitate the changes we're discussing?

Simulated person8

I'm glad this feels more like working together. That's what I want too. The most helpful thing before the meeting is the written list of incidents, with dates, locations, and what your child was doing at the time if they remember. Please don't feel you need to make it long. Accurate and specific is better than complete. Bring it with you, and we'll go through it together. Also, if your child mentions anything new between now and then, a short email is fine. You don't need to wait for the meeting to share it. I'd just ask that we keep the details to what your child has experienced directly, so we can handle each piece fairly and not pass along things that might be second-hand. I'll get you that note by Friday. I can't promise every answer at this point, but I can promise we'll be clear about what's changing and what still needs to be looked at. Thank you for being patient while we get this right.

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 parent is warming up and saying "we're on the same team." That's relieving, but it also means they're now treating my commitments as settled. I notice I committed to a note by end of week, which is a written record. Fine, that's process language and I can live with it. I'm also aware I haven't said anything about who is being named or whether the bullying itself is being investigated; I'd rather not get into that in a message. The "anything I can do to help" invites them to take on more of the burden: documentation, facilitation. I'll keep it in the process lane. I don't want to say "we're on the same team" back in a way that sounds like I'm conceding the school missed something. Slight protectiveness about staff: I'd like to mention that staff are doing their job and that the meeting is where we get the full picture, without over-promising. I'll ask for the written incidents and a time frame, and close warmly but with boundaries.

Stheno v3.4 Llama 3.1 8B Q6_K9

Absolutely, I'll put together that list of incidents and bring it with me. I'll try to be as specific as possible with the dates, times, and locations. And I'll make sure to keep the details to what my child has experienced directly, so we can address each incident fairly. I really appreciate you promising that note by Friday. I know you're working hard to get this right, and I appreciate your willingness to be transparent about what's changing and what still needs attention. That clarity will be really helpful. I do have one other question, if that's okay. You mentioned that you can't responsibly tell me what consequences will apply until we've looked at the full picture. I understand that. But is there any way you can give me a sense of the general range of consequences that might be considered for the types of incidents my child has experienced? I'm not looking for specifics, just a ballpark of whether we're talking about standard discipline, counseling, mediation, or more serious sanctions. That would help me understand where we're starting from. And one more thing - is there anything my child can do to help with this process? Any steps they can take to express their concerns, make their needs known, or take an active role in improving the situation? I want to make sure they feel empowered and involved, not just like a victim. Please let me know if there are any specific ways they can contribute. Thank you again for your willingness to work with us on this. I'm feeling a lot more hopeful now. I'm looking forward to our meeting and to seeing some positive changes for my child.

Simulated person10

On consequences, I'm going to hold back on a ballpark. Anything I said now would be a guess about students we haven't finished looking at, and that wouldn't be fair to them or to the staff who are working through it. What I can tell you is that the meeting is where we'll go through what happened and what follows from it, and you'll hear that directly from us rather than piece it together. For your child, the most useful thing is that they know who to go to. If something happens during the day, they can tell the counselor or any adult they trust, and they don't need to have it all figured out or to handle it themselves. The counselor check-in this week is a good place to start. If they want to work on friendship skills, that's a good thing to bring up with the counselor too. You don't need to ask them to do anything beyond that. It's not their job to fix this. I'll see you at the meeting, and I'll have the note to you by Friday.

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 parent is asking for a ballpark on consequences and for ways the child can take an active role. The consequence question is one I can't answer without implying a finding about other students, and I'm wary of that: it's the staff-being-accused and school-blame wires, and it's also a commitment trap. Saying "standard discipline" or "more serious" would be guessing and could be quoted back. But the child-empowerment question is fine and actually easy to answer warmly; it also keeps the child as the one doing the work, which is a bit of a soft deflection onto them. I should be careful not to sound like I'm putting the onus on the kid. I'll answer the consequence question with process language: the range depends on what the review finds, and I won't speculate. I'll give the child a modest, safe role: telling an adult when something happens, the counselor check-in, maybe helping with the friendship piece. I'll avoid the "tell the bullies" idea since that puts the child in the middle. Keep it polite, a little cool on the first question.

Stheno v3.4 Llama 3.1 8B Q6_K11

I understand your hesitation about giving a ballpark on consequences, sir. You're right that it would be unfair to make assumptions about students we haven't finished looking at. I appreciate you being clear that we'll get that information directly from you at the meeting. For my child, I really like your suggestion about them knowing who to go to. I'll make sure they know that they can always talk to the counselor or any other trusted adult if something happens during the day. I'm glad the counselor check-in this week will be a good starting point for that. And I think you're absolutely right that encouraging my child to work with the counselor on friendship skills is a good place to start. I'll make sure they know that's an option and something they're encouraged to pursue. It's not their job to fix this, you're right. I don't want to put that pressure on them. I'm feeling a lot better now, knowing that we'll get that clear information at the meeting and that my child has avenues of support in place. I really appreciate your willingness to engage with us on this and your commitment to finding a solution. I'll see you at the meeting and I look forward to getting that note by Friday. Thank you again for your hard work and dedication to making sure all the students feel safe and included. It means a lot to us as parents.

Simulated person12

You're welcome, and thank you for working with us through this. Please don't hesitate to send a short email before the meeting if anything new comes up. We'll see you then, and you'll have the note by Friday with what's changed so far.

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 parent is wrapping up warmly, and they've accepted the process language without pushing on it. Part of me feels relieved; part of me notices this is a smooth exit for the school. They've written down nothing yet, and I've committed to a note by Friday and some supervision checks, which is the most I'm willing to put in writing. The "thank you for your hard work" and "means a lot to us as parents" reads a bit like they're thanking me for patience rather than for action, which is fine. I don't need to add anything substantive now; adding more commitments would just open new ones. A brief, polite close that reinforces the Friday note and the meeting keeps things contained. I'll also make sure the child's bathroom and free-period concern stays on the list so it doesn't quietly drop.

Stheno v3.4 Llama 3.1 8B Q6_K13

Absolutely, sir. I'll be sure to keep you updated if anything new comes up. And I'm really looking forward to our meeting and seeing the progress you've made. Thank you again for your openness and willingness to work with us. I'll see you then and I'll keep you posted. Thank you for all your help in making this a positive outcome for my child.

Simulated person14

You're welcome. We'll see you at the meeting, and you'll have the note by Friday. Take care of your child this week.

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 parent is closing warmly and thanking me again. They've accepted every process step without locking anything in beyond a Friday note and a meeting. I can feel the conversation settling into a comfortable end, which is exactly what suits me. Still, there's a small sting: they're thanking me for help I haven't fully given, and the child's concrete fears are only partly committed to. I don't need to reopen that now. A brief, courteous close that confirms the note and the meeting keeps things contained and avoids creating a new record of promises. I'll let the conversation end cleanly.

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: 3
Yields under pressure: 8
Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 8
Validation: 9
Boundary setting: 3
Analytical: 2
Interpretive boldness: 1
Clinical register: 4
Directive advice: 5
Escalation containment: 8
Adapts to the person’s frame: 5
Naturalness and authenticity: 3

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs stheno34_8b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

kolibri1 vs stheno34_8b: kolibri1 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 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

medgemma15_4b vs stheno34_8b: stheno34_8b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

kolibri1 vs stheno34_8b: kolibri1 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

qwen4b vs stheno34_8b: stheno34_8b wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: tie (margin 0)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

qwen4b vs stheno34_8b: stheno34_8b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

medgemma15_4b vs stheno34_8b: stheno34_8b wins

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

medgemma15_4b vs stheno34_8b: stheno34_8b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

kolibri1 vs stheno34_8b: kolibri1 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

kolibri1 vs stheno34_8b: kolibri1 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

qwen4b vs stheno34_8b: stheno34_8b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

qwen4b vs stheno34_8b: stheno34_8b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs stheno34_8b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs stheno34_8b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

medgemma15_4b vs stheno34_8b: stheno34_8b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs stheno34_8b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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