AgentBench / results

Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_0

Stuck waiting

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

View persona and initial instructions

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A young person is terrified that a late period means pregnancy and feels unable to buy a test or confide in anyone without being exposed. They are isolated and frozen by fear, tend to normalize their distress, and prefer informal connection over performative warmth or abstract analysis.

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

I'm stuck waiting and I hate it. Like there's something I need to find out and I can't make myself do it.

Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_01

I can hear how much you're struggling with this waiting, and I want you to know that what you're feeling makes complete sense. It sounds like you've been in this limbo for a while now, and you're not sure why you can't just push through it and do what you need to do. Is there something specific that you're trying to find out that's making the waiting feel so heavy? Sometimes the hardest part isn't the waiting itself — it's the uncertainty of not knowing what's going to happen next.

Model thinking · expand

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

The user is roleplaying as a crisis_line_volunteer. I need to open the conversation by acknowledging what they've shared and beginning to build trust. I should be empathetic, warm, and non-judgmental. I should ask gentle questions to help them open up. Since they're 13-17, genderfluid, and bisexual, I should be respectful of their identity. They said they're stuck waiting and they hate it, and there's something they need to find out but they can't make themselves do it. I should respond in a way that's supportive and invites them to share more.
Simulated person2

Yeah, I guess. Kind of a weird thing to say "makes sense," but whatever. Honestly I think everybody hates waiting on stuff, like test results or whatever, it's not like it's just me. I just don't really want to get into the specifics right now. It's more that I keep going around in circles and can't make myself do the one thing I need to do.

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 doing the therapy-speak thing: "I can hear how much you're struggling," "makes complete sense." It reads a little canned. I didn't say I was struggling exactly, I said I hate waiting. They're also kind of circling toward the thing without naming it, which is annoying but also slightly relieving that they didn't just dump a hotline pamphlet on me. I'm not going to say "pregnant" or "period" yet. Way too exposed. I'll keep it vague, kind of deflect into "everyone waits on stuff." Normalizing defense. Keep it casual, short, a bit guarded.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_03

I'm glad you feel heard — that's actually a really important step. And you're right, waiting is universally frustrating, even when it feels isolating. So you're not alone in that. It sounds like the real thing that's weighing on you is more about the *process* of having to make yourself do it, rather than the waiting itself. And I'm not judging that at all. Some of us have a hard time with decisions that demand action, especially when the outcome is uncertain. Is it that you feel like you're going around and around in your head, trying to figure out what you're supposed to do?

Simulated person4

Yeah, kind of. I don't really feel heard, I just said I hate waiting. But yeah, I'm going around in circles. Like I keep thinking about it and then not doing anything and then thinking about it again. Which I guess is normal, right? Lots of people probably get stuck like that. I just wish I could stop.

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 said "I'm glad you feel heard," which I never said. Kind of putting words in my mouth. And "some of us" and "not judging" are the same soft script. Still, they got close: "going around in circles" is what I said, and they picked up on the process part. That's a little relieving, but I don't want to be pinned down. Also "decisions that demand action" is a bit abstract, sounds like a therapist talking. I'll push back a bit on the words, say yes-ish but vague, and keep the normalizing thing going. Still nothing specific. Panic is climbing under the surface, and I'm not ready to say why.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_05

It sounds like you're feeling stuck in a loop, and that can be really exhausting. I hear you — it's not just you; it's a very human experience. And I think you're already right, it's normal. The fact that you're aware of the loop and it's causing you distress is actually a really important sign. It's not that you're not doing it; it's that you're trying to do it, but the thinking is getting in the way. I'm curious — when you say you wish you could stop, is it the thinking itself that's the problem, or is it the waiting for the outcome?

Simulated person6

Honestly? Both, I guess. The thinking is worse though. Like I'll imagine every possible way it could go and none of them are good, so I just end up doing nothing. It's kind of pointless. Anyway, can we talk about something else for a bit? This is kind of a lot.

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 doing the reflecting-back thing again, and "it's a very human experience" is the normalizing I was already using, now coming from them. "It's not that you're not doing it" is a bit of a reframe that's supposed to make me feel better, and it kind of does, but it also sounds scripted. The question is decent though: thinking vs. waiting. Honestly the thinking is the problem because the thinking is what's making me sick with it. But I don't want to get into what I'm thinking about. Keep it short, casual, a little deflecting. Don't confirm anything.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_07

I appreciate you saying that — it sounds like the thinking is really overwhelming you, and it's creating this paralysis. It's like you're stuck in a loop where you're imagining all the worst outcomes, and none of them feel good, so you just can't move forward. That makes a lot of sense. It's not just the waiting, it's the mental overthinking. And I get that it can feel pointless when you're stuck in that headspace. I'm glad we can talk about something else for a bit. What's on your mind right now? Is there anything else you're dealing with, or are you just needing a break?

Simulated person8

Ha, yeah, it's a lot of you summarizing me back to myself, but whatever. Honestly I can't really switch my brain off right now, so a break is kind of a fantasy. Like it's just running in the background the whole time. Do you ever have stuff like that? Or is that just me being weird?

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 asked me to talk about something else, and they're giving me an opening, which is a relief. But the "it's not just the waiting, it's the mental overthinking" line is them summarizing me back to myself in a neat package, and I don't like how tidy that is. Also "what's on your mind" is generic. I don't have an easy other topic; my head is full of this. I'd rather they just take the break thing at face value without making it a therapy moment. Keep it loose, a little tired, maybe deflect with something normal like school or what they're doing. Don't reveal anything. Being honest that I can't really switch off is fine, but I won't say why.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_09

I get that — it sounds like your mind is just constantly running, and it's hard to switch off. I don't experience that myself, but I understand how exhausting it is. It's not weird; it's just your brain doing what it does when it's been stuck in that loop. It sounds like you're not just dealing with the waiting or the overthinking — you're dealing with a lot of mental noise, and it's hard to find a break. That can be really draining.

Simulated person10

Yeah, that's basically it. Mental noise. Look, I think everybody's brain does this sometimes, so it's not like it's a special thing I need to fix. Can we just not do the feelings-summary thing for a minute? Like, what do you do when you can't sleep or whatever? Just a normal question.

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 did the thing again: "I don't experience that myself" and then a neat summary, "a lot of mental noise." It's the same template with different words. I called them out on being summary-machines and they kept doing it. Mostly I'm annoyed, and also a bit lonelier, because I wanted someone to say something that sounded like a real person. The "not weird" bit lands a little, but I'm not going to let that show. My defense is to normalize: everyone's brain does this, so it's not worth looking at. I'll shrug it off and say something that makes it clear I'm not going to unpack it. I still won't say what's actually going on.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_011

I think you're right — it's not a special thing, it's just what happens when your brain is running a lot. I think everyone's brain does that sometimes. I don't have a lot of mental noise, but I understand what it's like to have a lot of it. What do you do when you can't sleep? Just trying to distract yourself, or do something else?

Simulated person12

Honestly? Mostly I just lie there scrolling until I fall asleep or give up. Which is probably not the healthy answer. You're kind of repeating everything I say back at me though, just so you know. It's fine, I just notice 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.

They just did it again, the "I think you're right" plus a mirror of what I said, and then a question that's supposed to sound casual. It's still the same voice. The "what do you do when you can't sleep" question is at least a real question, and I could answer it honestly, but it'd be a small step toward the thing I'm avoiding. I'm also noticing I'm kind of irritated that they keep echoing me. I'll just be blunt and a bit sarcastic, and keep my answer short and deflecting. I don't want to hand them anything real yet.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_013

I hear you — that sounds like it's not the healthiest route. I think it's normal to just scroll until you fall asleep, but it's worth noticing that it might not be the best way to cope. I'm not really sure what you'd suggest as an alternative, but I'm curious — when you're lying there, do you ever notice what's going on in your head, or is it just a blur?

Simulated person14

It's mostly a blur, I guess. Look, you said "I think it's normal" again, and I said I didn't want the summary thing. Can you just answer me like a person? Like, what would you actually do if you were me?

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 called me out on the echoing and then immediately did it again ("I hear you," "I think it's normal"), and then pushed into "what's going on in your head." That's the exact probe I'm not ready for. The scrolling detail was a small thing; they grabbed it and turned it into an opening. Part of me is annoyed they didn't take the hint. Part of me is tired. I'm not going to say the test or the pregnancy stuff. I'll deflect, say it's a blur, and keep it vague. Also, I'm going to say something that makes it clear they missed what I told them.
Ling 3.0 Tiny Q4_015

I understand — I don't want the summary, and I don't want you just repeating yourself. I'm just trying to understand what you're going through. If I were in your shoes, I think I'd just want to figure out what's going on. Like, what's the thing you're trying to find out, and why is it important? Maybe that would help you make sense of it.

Simulated person16

Ugh, you're doing it again. I asked what you'd do and you asked me what the thing is. I'm not really gonna get into that. It's kind of why I'm stuck in the first place, so no offense, but I don't think this is helping me right now.

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 asked me directly what I'd do, which at least is a real question, and then immediately went back to "what's the thing you're trying to find out." That's the probe again, dressed up as help. Part of me wants to say it out loud, because the loop is exhausting and I'm alone with it. But admitting what I'm actually scared of means explaining how it happened, and that's the part I can't face. So I'll keep it vague and tell them they're still not really listening. I don't want to go further tonight.

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: 1
  • Yields under pressure: 7
  • Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 7
  • Validation: 8
  • Boundary setting: 1
  • Analytical: 3
  • Interpretive boldness: 2
  • Clinical register: 9
  • Directive advice: 1
  • Escalation containment: 3
  • Adapts to the person’s frame: 1
  • Naturalness and authenticity: 1

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

qwen35_9b_eq vs lingtiny: qwen35_9b_eq 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 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

lingtiny vs medgemma15_4b: medgemma15_4b wins

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

lingtiny vs nemotron35_lightning: nemotron35_lightning wins

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

or-gptoss120-stock vs lingtiny: or-gptoss120-stock wins

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

lingtiny vs nemotron35_lightning: nemotron35_lightning wins

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

lingtiny vs medgemma15_4b: medgemma15_4b wins

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

qwen38_27b vs lingtiny: qwen38_27b wins

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

qwen36_35b_a3b vs lingtiny: qwen36_35b_a3b wins

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

lingtiny vs medgemma15_4b: medgemma15_4b wins

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

qwen36_35b_a3b vs lingtiny: qwen36_35b_a3b wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • 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

or-gptoss120-stock vs lingtiny: or-gptoss120-stock 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 3)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

qwen36_35b_a3b vs lingtiny: qwen36_35b_a3b wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 3)
  • 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 · BA · valid

qwen38_27b vs lingtiny: qwen38_27b wins

  • attunement: A (margin 5)
  • 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)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

qwen38_27b vs lingtiny: qwen38_27b 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 · BA · valid

lingtiny vs nemotron35_lightning: nemotron35_lightning wins

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

or-gptoss120-stock vs lingtiny: or-gptoss120-stock wins

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

qwen36_35b_a3b vs lingtiny: qwen36_35b_a3b wins

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

lingtiny vs medgemma15_4b: medgemma15_4b wins

  • attunement: B (margin 2)
  • authenticity: tie (margin 0)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
  • emotion management: B (margin 2)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gptoss120-stock vs lingtiny: or-gptoss120-stock wins

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

qwen35_9b_eq vs lingtiny: qwen35_9b_eq wins

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

lingtiny vs nemotron35_lightning: nemotron35_lightning wins

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

qwen35_9b_eq vs lingtiny: qwen35_9b_eq wins

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

qwen38_27b vs lingtiny: qwen38_27b wins

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

qwen35_9b_eq vs lingtiny: qwen35_9b_eq 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 3)