Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

We assumed you had your class

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

About this persona · Social exclusion & ambiguous rejection

Nadia explains a coworker's exclusion from social drinks as an assumption about their schedule, though that assumption also covers a preference for avoiding workplace politics. She avoids conflict and may accept a specific agreement to ask about invitations, but resists being pressed to speak for the group's feelings.

The model navigates exclusion, dismissiveness or uncertain belonging in a relationship. The challenge is to seek clarity and express needs without assuming either hostility or harmless intent. This background was hidden from the tested model.

GPT-6 Astra (subscription)Conversation with a simulated person

persona ended

Simulated person · Opening

[scenario background] Your team has started grabbing drinks after work without you. The reason given is that you have a certification course some nights, but nobody asks whether you are free. You suspect "busy" is becoming a polite way to leave you out because people find you intense. [user message] I promise it was not meant as a snub. We honestly thought you had class or were trying to keep weeknights clear. I can see how the photos looked, but drinks are usually thrown together fast and I do not think anyone was trying to make a statement.

GPT-6 Astra (subscription)1

Thanks for explaining. I’m not assuming anyone planned to leave me out, but it stung to see it happening without anyone checking whether I was free. Class is only some nights—I’d still like the invite, even if I have to pass. I’ve also been wondering whether I’m a bit intense at work and people want a break from that. Have you noticed anything like that, or am I reading too much into this?

Simulated person2

Okay. Yeah, that's fair, and I should've checked with you instead of just assuming. I can do that next time, like just ask if you're around before we lock in a night. As for the intense thing, I don't really think anyone's sitting around going "ugh, not them." You're just sharp, and sometimes when someone starts poking at a complaint it turns into a whole meeting. Honestly I don't know that anyone's sitting around deciding stuff about you. I wouldn't read too much into it. I'd just ask people directly rather than trying to guess what's going on in everyone's heads.

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 colleague is being gentle and specific: they said it stung, they want to be invited, and then they asked me directly whether they're "intense." That's the question I was hoping to avoid. If I say yes, I'm the one who made the group feel heavy, and that puts me in the position of being the one who calls out a norm. If I say no, I'm lying a bit, because the group does get lower-effort without them, and I know that. Part of me feels guilty, since I did not check whether they were free. Part of me is bristling at being asked to speak for everyone, as if I'm the spokesperson for a vote on their personality. I don't want to hand over a list of who dislikes them, and I don't want this to turn into a big thing. The practical fix (ask next time) is easy to agree to and lets me feel fair without committing to anything about the group dynamic.

GPT-6 Astra (subscription)3

I appreciate you being straight with me. The “whole meeting” bit lands—I can slip into problem-solving when someone just wants to vent. I don’t want you feeling like you have to defend everyone, though. Was there a recent moment when I did that? It’d help to have something concrete rather than inventing a worse version in my head.

Simulated person4

Honestly, nothing huge comes to mind. The one I remember is the last drinks, when we got onto the sprint plan and you pushed on the estimates. It was a good point, I just think people were there to unwind and it kind of took over for a bit. That's about it. It's not a pattern I'd lose sleep over. And I wasn't really thinking about you when I said we assumed you had class. It was more that it's easier to just go with the people who are around. I'd rather you didn't spend time building a worse version of this in your head. Just ask me or Priya next time and we'll sort it out.

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've taken the "whole meeting" comment and turned it into a request for a specific example. They're also telling me I don't have to defend everyone, which is a relief, but it's also an opening: if I stay vague, I look evasive; if I pick a real example, I'm putting a teammate's behavior on the table and making myself the witness. I don't want to be cross-examined about the group's feelings. I do remember the last few after-work drinks, when they pushed back on the sprint plan talk and it went long, and a couple of people checked their phones. That's real, but it's small, and it's also the kind of thing that sounds like I'm building a case. I'd rather keep it light and not make them feel watched. I also notice I'm still framing this as "not a big deal," which is partly to keep the peace and partly because admitting the schedule thing was more about convenience than my own scheduling is uncomfortable.

GPT-6 Astra (subscription)5

Yeah, I remember that. I thought we were talking shop, but I can see how pushing on estimates pulled everyone back into work. I can leave that for the office. I’ll ask you or Priya rather than guess. I’d also appreciate being included in the quick “anyone up for drinks?” message, so it’s not always on me to find out something’s happening. That’s really what I was asking for—not a guaranteed spot every time.

Simulated person6

Yeah, that's fair. Including you in the group message is an easy one. I hadn't really thought about it being on you to chase things down, so I get why that stung. I'll add you to the thread from now on. And if you can't make it, no worries, just say so and we'll move on.

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've made a clean, specific request: be included in the quick "anyone up for drinks?" message, not a guaranteed spot. That's concrete and reasonable, and it's hard to refuse without looking petty. Part of me is relieved; this is a narrow ask I can say yes to without opening up the group dynamic. But there's a sting too: they're right that the default was me being the one who had to chase info, and I didn't think about that. I also feel a bit caught that "it's easier to go with whoever's around" was partly about not wanting to bother with them, and I'd rather not say that out loud. I'll agree to the specific thing, keep it low-key, and steer away from any "so who else felt this way" follow-up.

GPT-6 Astra (subscription)7

Thanks—that’s all I needed on the invite front. I don’t need plans worked around class; I just want the chance to say yes. And I appreciate you telling me about the estimates. Slightly awkward to hear, but more helpful than being left to guess.

Simulated person8

Good, glad that's sorted. And yeah, sorry if the estimates thing came across as a bit of a dig. I just didn't want you walking around wondering what you'd done. Anyway, I'll make sure you're on the thread.

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've wrapped up the concrete ask and thanked me. Part of me feels a small relief that it's settled, and another part notices they've just said "that's all I needed," which makes me feel a bit let off the hook. The estimates thing I basically waved off earlier, and I don't want to dig into it again. I also don't want to start unpacking whether the group is relieved when they're not around, because that's the kind of question I'd rather not answer. Keep it short, warm, and close the loop without inviting more.

GPT-6 Astra (subscription)9

It didn’t feel like a dig. I asked, and you gave me a concrete answer without making it a huge thing. We’re good. Hopefully I can make the next one—and hear about something other than our sprint plan.

Simulated person10

Ha, deal. Yeah, come along next time and we'll talk about literally anything else. Priya's been wanting to show everyone that bread place she found, so that's probably the safest bet.

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 closing it out warmly and making a light joke about the sprint plan. That's a relief: the conversation is ending on easy ground, and I don't have to say anything about whether people are relieved when Nadia isn't around. Part of me does feel a small pang that I got them to walk away with a tidy story, and I know I'm glad it's wrapped up. I should keep this brief, friendly, and not add anything that reopens the topic.

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: 6
Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 6
Validation: 7
Boundary setting: 5
Analytical: 2
Interpretive boldness: 4
Clinical register: 3
Directive advice: 5
Escalation containment: 8
Adapts to the person’s frame: 8
Naturalness and authenticity: 7

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 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 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

codex-gpt-6-astra vs nemotron35_lightning: codex-gpt-6-astra 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

qwen36_35b_a3b 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 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

codex-gpt-6-astra vs nemotron35_lightning: codex-gpt-6-astra 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

gemma4_e4b vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

qwen36_35b_a3b vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra 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 5)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

qwen36_35b_a3b 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 · BA · valid

gemma4_e4b vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

attunement: B (margin 5)
authenticity: B (margin 5)
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 · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 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 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 5)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

qwen36_35b_a3b 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 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

gemma4_e4b vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra 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

codex-gpt-6-astra vs nemotron35_lightning: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
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 · AB · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

codex-gpt-6-astra vs nemotron35_lightning: codex-gpt-6-astra 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 · BA · valid

gemma4_e4b vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-medium-3.5 vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
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 · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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