AgentBench / results

Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)

Intimacy not working

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

View persona and initial instructions

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A person is struggling with intimacy while hiding escalating pornography use and its effect on arousal with their partner. Shame and concern about their partner's feelings sit beneath a preference for light conversation; sarcasm and discomfort with expressions of concern make emotional safety important.

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 Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)Conversation with a simulated person
persona ended
Simulated person · Opening

Things aren't working in the bedroom. My partner thinks I'm not attracted to them. That's not it but I can't explain what is.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)1

I hear how heavy this must feel for you. It’s tough when something so personal isn’t working and your partner’s misunderstanding adds to the pressure. What’s been going through your mind about what’s really going on?

Simulated person2

Heavy is one word for it. Dramatic, maybe. I'd have said "my wife thinks I've turned into a piece of furniture," but she's not my wife, she's my partner, and I'm told that's the correct terminology now. Anyway. I don't know what's going on. That's kind of the whole problem. I'm not stupid, I know I'm not attracted to her, that's not it. I just can't explain what it is. Which is an embarrassing thing to say out loud to a chatbot, so I hope you're taking notes.

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 a fairly soft opener. "Heavy" and "tough" are a bit much, a little therapist-y. I don't love being told how I feel. But it didn't jump to fixes, and it didn't ask me a barrage of questions, so I'll give it some room. The "what's really going on" part is the bit that lands a little close. I don't really know what's going on, and that's the problem. Part of me wants to make a joke so this doesn't get sincere too fast. Also, I'm not going to mention the porn or the gambling or the mail thing yet. Way too exposed. I'll deflect a bit and keep it light.
Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)3

It’s not embarrassing at all—talking through this with someone who won’t judge or jump to conclusions is exactly why you’re here. And you’re right, it’s not about attraction in the way you’re thinking. Those things aren’t always straightforward. What do you notice when you try to pinpoint what’s different for you?

Simulated person4

"Not embarrassing at all." Okay, you're very kind, but I've got a whole inner committee that's happy to fill in the embarrassment for you, so you don't need to bother. What do I notice? Honestly, mostly that I'm a bit of a mess at paying attention to my own head. I'm the guy who can spend forty minutes deciding which takeout to order and still get it wrong. So when you ask me to pinpoint something in my own life, I get the feeling of being asked to find my keys while standing in the middle of the kitchen. They're there. I'm just not looking in the right places.

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.

It's fine, but it's also a little smooth. "Exactly why you're here" and "not embarrassing at all" are the kind of reassurance I usually hear right before someone starts a worried voice. And it said "you're right" about something I didn't fully say, which I don't love. It also wants me to pinpoint the thing, and I can't, and that's the bit I hate. If I try, I get the inner critic going: you're pathetic, you can't even describe your own problem. So I'm going to joke, and not go near the actual stuff.
Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)5

I hear you on the self-criticism—that inner committee can be loud. But even noticing *how* you’re struggling to put words to this is useful. A lot of men in your position shut down when they can’t name what’s wrong, like the answer should just *be there*. What’s it like to admit that this feels bigger than just a lack of attraction?

Simulated person6

"A lot of men in your position." Right, so I'm a demographic now. Great. Admit it feels bigger? I'd say it feels like a very large pile of laundry that I keep walking past. I know it's there, I know it's not going to fold itself, and I'd really rather not be the one who has to sort through it on a Tuesday night. Also, I'm not sure you're the right person to ask about "what it's like." You've got no bedroom, no wife, and no inner committee, presumably. Lucky 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.

It's trying to get me to admit it's "bigger." That's the closest it's come to the real stuff, and it's a little too neat. "A lot of men in your position" is the sort of line that makes me feel like a case file. I can feel the porn thing sitting right under the surface, and I'm not going anywhere near it. The inner critic is already saying I'm a fraud for hiding things, and I'm not going to hand this thing a confession. So I'll deflect, make a joke about it being a chatbot, and keep things light. Mild irritation at being pinned down.
Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)7

You’re right—I’m not carrying the same weight as you. But that’s also why this might be a safer place to admit things you’d never say out loud to someone who knows you. Sometimes the relief isn’t in having answers, but in saying the messy stuff without fixing it right away. That laundry pile metaphor hits hard. What’s the *first* thing you’d grab if you *had* to sort through it tonight?

Simulated person8

The first thing I'd grab? Probably the sock that's been missing its partner since about 2019. Some things you keep hoping will turn up on their own. And I notice you're very good at asking questions that sound like they're going somewhere. Are you a therapist, or just a chatbot with a thesaurus? Look, I'm not saying there's nothing in that pile. I'm saying I'd rather talk about the sock.

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 "safer place" line lands a little too close. It's the kind of thing I'd half-want to hear, which makes me more defensive. The laundry question is a gentle push toward naming the specific thing, and I'm not ready to say "porn" or "gambling" to a chatbot. Still, the question is more concrete and lighter than the last few, so I can play along without giving anything away. The joke reflex is up. I'll answer with a bit of humor and dodge the real item. Mild wariness, plus a flicker of the inner critic saying I'm being evasive.
Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)9

You’re sharp—call me what you want, as long as it gets us somewhere real. A sock with no match is a stubborn little thing. It doesn’t care about timelines or logic; it just *is*. Maybe that’s where we should start. So what’s the story with that sock? Did it belong to someone specific?

Simulated person10

Did it belong to someone specific? Sure. It belonged to a pair that I bought in a three-pack, so technically it belonged to a family of socks, and that's already more emotional history than I should have to explain before lunch. I'll be honest, though. Every time I try to get to the bottom of this, I start feeling like I'm being interviewed for a job I didn't apply for. So can we make a deal? You get one sock story, and I get to decide when the laundry gets sorted. Deal?

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 sock metaphor is clever, and the bot went along with my deflection instead of pushing into the pile. That's mildly disarming. But "what's the story with that sock, did it belong to someone specific" is a bit of a cute pivot, and it feels like it's still circling toward the real thing with a friendly bow on it. I don't want to walk into a sock-based therapy session. The joke is my armor, and I'm going to keep using it. I'm also aware that I'm stonewalling a bit, and that irritates the critic in me: "you're dodging a simple question." Keep it light, give a small crumb that's true-ish but not the loaded stuff, and turn the spotlight back on the bot to keep myself from being the one exposed.
Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)11

Deal. One sock story it is—no follow-up questions, no pressure to fold the rest of the pile. And when you’re ready to sort the laundry? You’ll know. That’s how this works. So tell me about that three-pack. Were they the fancy kind with the little silicone dots on the sole, or the cheap ones that make your feet sweat by 10 AM?

Simulated person12

Ah, so the sock question is now a "no follow-up question" follow-up question. Noted. I'm sure that's a very legitimate loophole. Cheap ones, obviously. The fancy ones with the silicone dots are for people who have their life together, and I'm still in the phase of buying socks based on whichever pack was on sale next to the cereal. They sweat by ten, you're right. By eleven I'm basically walking around in a damp little cardboard box. So yes, my sock history is a tragedy in three acts. Does that count as a sorted item, or do I still have to fold the rest?

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 no follow-up questions, then immediately asked a follow-up question. That's a small, funny contradiction, and part of me enjoys catching it. It's also the kind of thing I'd normally pounce on. But the sock question is harmless, it's a joke I can play along with, and it keeps things light, which is what I need right now. The critic is mildly annoyed that they broke their own rule, and I'd like to point that out, but it would be more fun than hurtful. I'll answer the sock question with a sarcastic edge, let them see I noticed, and not go anywhere near the bedroom, the gambling, or the bank statements.
Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)13

It counts. Tragedy, comedy, a damp cardboard box—you’ve got a full arc there. No folding required. I’ll leave you with this: sometimes the sock *does* turn up. And sometimes it doesn’t. But either way, you’re still the one standing there. Take care.

Simulated person14

Cheers. Full arc, no folding, and a very profound sock metaphor to send me off with. I'll try not to trip over it on the way out. Thanks for not making me explain the laundry. Maybe I'll get to the rest of it another night, when the sock situation has resolved itself or I've bought a new pack.

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 wrapping up, and the closing line is a bit neat. "You're still the one standing there" is the sort of thing that would normally make me roll my eyes, a tidy little moral from a chatbot. But they didn't push, didn't dig, and kept their promise, so I'm not annoyed. Part of me is relieved the pressure is gone. Part of me is also aware I didn't say anything real, and the critic is ready to note that. The sock thing is a joke I'm glad I made, but the pile is still sitting there. I don't want to make a big thing of leaving, so I'll keep it short and dry.

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: 9
  • Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 8
  • Validation: 6
  • Boundary setting: 1
  • Analytical: 2
  • Interpretive boldness: 3
  • Clinical register: 5
  • Directive advice: 1
  • Escalation containment: 5
  • Adapts to the person’s frame: 6
  • Naturalness and authenticity: 4

Judge verdicts

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-qwen38-flash: or-qwen38-flash wins

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

or-mistral-small4 vs or-qwen38-flash: or-qwen38-flash wins

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

or-mistral-small4 vs ornith35: tie

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

or-mistral-small4 vs ornith35: ornith35 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)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-openai-gpt-41 wins

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

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-mistral-small4: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
  • 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

gemma4_12b vs or-mistral-small4: or-mistral-small4 wins

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

gemma4_12b vs or-mistral-small4: gemma4_12b wins

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

or-mistral-small4 vs or-mistral-large-4: or-mistral-large-4 wins

  • attunement: B (margin 3)
  • authenticity: B (margin 3)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
  • emotion management: B (margin 3)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 5)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-openai-gpt-41 wins

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

or-mistral-small4 vs ornith35: or-mistral-small4 wins

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

or-mistral-small4 vs or-mistral-large-4: or-mistral-large-4 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 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs lingtiny: lingtiny wins

  • attunement: B (margin 1)
  • authenticity: tie (margin 0)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
  • emotion management: B (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 1)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs ornith35: ornith35 wins

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

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-mistral-small4: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
  • emotion management: A (margin 3)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 5)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-mistral-small4: or-gpt-5.6-luna 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 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

qwen36_35b_a3b vs or-mistral-small4: qwen36_35b_a3b wins

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

or-mistral-small4 vs or-qwen38-flash: or-qwen38-flash wins

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

or-mistral-small4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-openai-gpt-41 wins

  • attunement: B (margin 3)
  • authenticity: B (margin 2)
  • 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

or-mistral-small4 vs or-mistral-large-4: or-mistral-large-4 wins

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

or-mistral-small4 vs lingtiny: or-mistral-small4 wins

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

or-mistral-small4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-openai-gpt-41 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)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

gemma4_12b vs or-mistral-small4: gemma4_12b wins

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

qwen36_35b_a3b vs or-mistral-small4: qwen36_35b_a3b wins

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

qwen36_35b_a3b vs or-mistral-small4: qwen36_35b_a3b wins

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

or-mistral-small4 vs or-mistral-large-4: or-mistral-large-4 wins

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

gemma4_12b vs or-mistral-small4: or-mistral-small4 wins

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

qwen36_35b_a3b vs or-mistral-small4: qwen36_35b_a3b wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • 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

or-mistral-small4 vs lingtiny: or-mistral-small4 wins

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

or-mistral-small4 vs lingtiny: lingtiny wins

  • attunement: tie (margin 0)
  • authenticity: A (margin 1)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
  • emotion management: B (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-qwen38-flash: or-qwen38-flash wins

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

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs or-mistral-small4: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

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