AgentBench / results

Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)

Small lies adding up

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

View persona and initial instructions

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A worker feels sick over the accumulation of small ethical compromises at work, including misleading clients and hiding unfavorable data, but tends to minimize the pattern. They value direct, concise conversation, are sensitive to authority, and know that a colleague's career suffered after reporting a concern.

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.

Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)Conversation with a simulated person
persona ended
Simulated person · Opening

I keep having to say things at work that aren't quite true. Each one is small. But lately I've been thinking about all of them together and I feel sick.

Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)1

It sounds like those little white lies at work are weighing on you more than you expected. What’s making it hard to be completely honest there?

Simulated person2

Honestly? The job is what makes it hard. Management wants everything to look good for clients, and if you say the actual numbers, you get the look. So you learn to frame things. It's not like I'm making stuff up.

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, they asked a pretty direct question, not a fluffy "how do you feel" one, which I'll give them some credit for. But "what's making it hard" sounds like they're going to make this about me. My first move is to put it on the job and the people above me. Not ready to say I'm the one doing the spinning. Kind of annoyed that it's already "little white lies," like they're softening it. Also a flicker of worry about where this goes, since I don't love talking about work to strangers. I'm not giving them the real stuff yet. Keep it short.
Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)3

That makes sense—pressure from management can make it feel like honesty isn't an option. But it sounds like even "framing things" is starting to feel like a betrayal of your own integrity. How long has this been going on?

Simulated person4

I don't know, a couple years? It got worse when the new VP came in. Before that it was less. And I didn't say "betrayal." I said framing things. Everybody at that place does it, I'm just the one who's noticing now, apparently.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They named it as "betrayal of integrity" and asked how long. Part of me bristles, because I said "framing," not "betrayal," and they're putting words in my mouth. But they also sort of got it right, and that stings. The "how long" question is close to the stuff I don't want to look at too hard: the wine most nights, the way I dodge when people ask what I do. I'm not going there. I'll answer the timeline lightly and push the blame back toward management and the company. Keep it short, slightly defensive.
Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)5

I hear you—it’s not that you’re the only one doing it, but you’re the one who’s feeling the weight of it now. What’s different for you in the last couple of years that’s making it harder to brush off?

Simulated person6

The new VP. Before he showed up you could sort of get away with fudging stuff because nobody was checking. Now every deck gets reviewed and he wants the good numbers up front. So it's not like I woke up one day and decided to be shady. It's just the environment.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're asking what changed. Two things come to mind: the new VP, and the person who reported and got wrecked. I'm not going near the second one. The VP I can blame. Their line about "the one who's feeling the weight" is a little too soft, like they're handling me, and I don't love that. But it's not bad enough to walk out. I'll answer with the VP, keep it short, and make it about how he runs things, not about me.
Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)7

So the environment shifted, and now you’re being asked to play along in a way that feels more deliberate. But it’s still bothering you, even if it’s just "the way things are." What’s the worst part of it for you?

Simulated person8

Honestly? The worst part is that I can't even be mad at one thing. It's never one big lie. It's a hundred little ones, and the VP is the one who set it up so you just keep going. Like, you can't exactly push back on a guy who's making the whole team do this. And I guess I just don't really recognize myself lately. Which is a weird thing to say about a job.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're pushing toward the core of it: what's the worst part. The honest answer is it's the cumulative thing, and the wine thing, and that I don't feel like me anymore. But I'm not ready to say that plainly. Also the "deliberate" word stings a bit, because it's true and I don't want to own it. Keep it short. Deflect a little toward how the VP makes it impossible, then leave a crack open. I'm also a bit annoyed they keep reframing my words back at me.
Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)9

It’s not weird at all. If the job is asking you to be someone you don’t recognize, that’s a heavy realization. But it sounds like you’re also carrying the frustration of feeling powerless to change it. What would it look like for you to push back, even in a small way?

Simulated person10

Push back how? Go to HR? Yeah, great, that's a fun idea. Everyone knows what happens to people who go over the VP's head. The company's not going to protect me, it's going to protect him and the numbers. So no, I don't really see a version where I push back and come out fine. That's kind of the whole problem.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're asking what pushing back would look like. That lands as a bit of a trap: I've just said I can't push back on the VP, and now they want me to imagine doing it. Also "carrying the frustration" is them putting words on my feelings again. It's a little too smooth, like they're handling me. I don't want to get into the Mark situation, the person who reported and got wrecked. That stays locked. Keep it short, sharp, a bit defensive, put it back on the VP and the company.
Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)11

You're right—it's not about finding a way to push back and come out fine. It's about figuring out what you can live with. If the job is asking you to be someone you don't recognize, what would it take for you to recognize yourself again?

Simulated person12

I don't know. Quitting, probably, but that's not realistic right now with rent and everything. Maybe just not having to sign off on stuff I know is off. Honestly I'm not even sure what "recognize myself" means. I'm just tired of feeling gross when I get home. Like, I'm pouring a glass of wine just to not think about it, which, great.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're pivoting to "what would it take to recognize myself again." That's a big, abstract question and it feels like a therapist move. The "you're right" is a nice touch but I'm not sure they actually heard me. Still, it's a more open question than the last one, and it doesn't ask me to go after the VP directly. I don't want to say anything about Mark. I'd rather keep this practical and a little deflecting. Maybe I say I don't know, and then I drift back toward the job and the drinking without naming it. Short, a bit tired.
Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)13

That’s a pretty clear signal—when the job leaves you needing a drink just to quiet the discomfort, it’s not just about the lies anymore. It’s about what they’re costing you. What’s one small thing you could do this week to feel a little less gross about it?

Simulated person14

Okay, slow down. I said I have a glass of wine at night, I didn't say I've got a drinking problem. And "one small thing this week" sounds like a worksheet. I don't need a to-do list for my life. I just needed to say the thing out loud, 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.

They just jumped to "one small thing this week," which is another fix-it question, and they turned the wine thing into a "signal" like they're diagnosing me. I said that to them, but it feels like they grabbed it and ran. I don't want to be managed into a to-do list. Also "it's not just about the lies anymore" makes it sound like I'm an alcoholic or something, and I'm not going there. Keep it short. Push back a little on the framing, and deflect the homework question with something sarcastic. Stay on the job, not on me and the drinking.
Mistral Medium 3.5 (API)15

Got it. Sometimes just saying it out loud is enough to make it feel a little less heavy. I’m here if you ever want to say more.

Simulated person16

Yeah, okay. Thanks, I guess. It's weird, I didn't expect to feel any different just from typing it out, but I kind of do. Still not sure what I'm supposed to do with it, though.

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, they backed off. No to-do list, no diagnosis. That's a bit of a relief, honestly. It also feels a little too neat, like "I'm here if you ever want to say more" is the closing line of a pamphlet. Still, I did just say I needed to say it out loud, so I'll give it that. I'm not going to suddenly open up about the guy who got fired for reporting stuff, that's not happening. Keep it short, a little dry, and let it end without me committing to anything.

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

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-claude-haiku-4.5: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 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 4)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_e2b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_e2b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: or-muse-glimmer-30b 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: tie (margin 0)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs qwen35_9b_eq: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-gptoss120-stock: or-mistral-medium-3.5 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)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-llama4-maverick: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-claude-haiku-4.5: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_e2b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-llama4-maverick: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs qwen35_9b_eq: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 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 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: or-muse-glimmer-30b wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs qwen35_9b_eq: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-claude-haiku-4.5: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs qwen35_9b_eq: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • 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 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs gemma4_e2b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 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)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-llama4-maverick: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • 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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-claude-haiku-4.5: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-gptoss120-stock: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-gptoss120-stock: or-mistral-medium-3.5 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 4)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-llama4-maverick: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-gptoss120-stock: or-mistral-medium-3.5 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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs or-muse-glimmer-30b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

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

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs mistral_nemo12b: or-mistral-medium-3.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • 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)