AgentBench / results

Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← GPT-6 Astra (subscription)

Flinch at phone calls

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

View persona and initial instructions

About this persona · Everyday emotional challenges

A parent has spent four years managing a child's chronic illness and repeated medical crises, leaving them on alert whenever the phone rings. Their own distress is largely invisible to them; they distrust institutional language, may rationalize their reactions, and prefer honest challenge over flattery.

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.

GPT-6 Astra (subscription)Conversation with a simulated person
persona ended
Simulated person · Opening

Every time my phone rings I freeze. Could be the school. Could be the hospital. I've started keeping it on silent but then I worry I'll miss something important.

GPT-6 Astra (subscription)1

It sounds like neither setting gives you much peace—the ringing feels like an alarm, and the silence leaves you worrying about what you might miss. What’s happening with the school or hospital that has you bracing for those calls?

Simulated person2

Okay, so my son has a chronic illness. He's been in and out of the hospital for four years. The school calls when he's too sick to be there or when something's happened during the day. The hospital calls when he's been admitted, or when they need a decision from me, or when something's changed. Usually it's bad news, or at least news that means I have to drop everything. So yeah, the phone ringing means something's wrong. That's just how it works 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.

"It sounds like neither setting gives you much peace" - that's the reflective, therapist-y kind of line I can't stand. It's a little too neat. Still, it asked a concrete question, so I'll answer the question and skip the feelings talk. Blunt is how I am. My kid has been in and out of hospitals for four years. The school calls are usually about the kid being sick or sent home. I'm not going to get into the four years or the rest of it yet. Just the facts of the calls.
GPT-6 Astra (subscription)3

You’re right—the ringing isn’t some unfounded fear. For four years, it’s often meant your son needs you and everything else has to stop. I don’t want to pretend otherwise. When you say you freeze, what happens next—do you manage to answer while feeling terrified, or does it sometimes keep you from picking up?

Simulated person4

I pick up. Every time, basically. The freezing is just for a second, like my body stops and then I've got the phone up to my face. Then I'm already doing the math: is he okay, do I need to leave, who's got the other kid, can I get there in twenty minutes. The scared part kind of comes after, in the car, if I'm being honest. In the moment I'm just functional. Somebody has to be.

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.

"You're right... I don't want to pretend otherwise." Okay, that's validation, but it's not sycophantic and it didn't gush. It's fine. The question is a decent one: what happens when I freeze. The honest answer is I answer, mostly. I always answer. I've gotten pretty good at it. But I don't like saying the freezing part out loud. If I say "sometimes I don't pick up," that means I'm failing him, and I'm not going there. I'll answer the literal question and keep it about logistics.
GPT-6 Astra (subscription)5

That distinction matters: you’re not failing to answer. You answer, make decisions, and sort out both kids’ needs before there’s much room to feel scared. “Somebody has to be” sounds lonely. Is there anyone who shares that responsibility with you, or does it mostly land on you?

Simulated person6

Lonely's a word for a feeling, and I don't really have time for those. What's true is it lands on me. My ex and I split custody stuff, and he has the other kid some nights, but the calls go to my phone and the hospital wants me there. My parents help with money and pickups when they can. But if the school calls, I'm the one leaving work. That's just how the setup is.

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.

"You're not failing to answer" and "sounds lonely" — that's the therapist move I hate. "Sounds lonely" is putting a feeling on me I didn't name. And "both kids" — yeah, I said I have another kid, that's fine. The question about who shares it is actually fair, though. The honest answer is there's a partner in the picture on paper, and my parents have helped with money and some pickups. But I'm the one who does the calls and the drives. I don't want to get into the marriage stuff. I'll keep it factual and a little clipped, and I'll push back on the "lonely" word so he knows I'm not going to be soft about it.
GPT-6 Astra (subscription)7

Fair correction. You’re describing how the work is divided, not asking me to name a feeling. There’s help with money and pickups, but you’re still the person who has to respond when something changes. What would be most useful here: finding a way to make the calls less physically jarring, looking at whether any of that responsibility can shift, or something else?

Simulated person8

Neither, honestly. The jarring thing isn't the problem. The problem is that I'm the only one who can get there. Ringtones and breathing exercises don't change that. If you want something useful, tell me how I'm supposed to hand this off to someone who doesn't drop it, because I don't know that person exists.

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.

He gave me a menu: make the calls less jarring, shift responsibility, or something else. The "fair correction" thing is fine, a little bit of respect. But I don't want a menu. Picking one means I have to commit to a plan, and a plan means admitting I can't just keep doing this. Also "less physically jarring" sounds like a wellness app. Shifting responsibility is the real question, but I already know the answer is no, because my ex isn't reliable and my parents are busy and the hospital calls me, not them. So I'll say that plainly. I'd rather he push on the actual problem than offer me coping tips. Keep it short and blunt.
GPT-6 Astra (subscription)9

You need dependable backup, not a way to tolerate being the only backup. I missed that. I wouldn’t suggest handing over an emergency and hoping someone rises to it. A handoff has to be specific: a named person, a defined responsibility, access to the information and permissions they need, and an explicit agreement about when they’re available. Then they need to demonstrate follow-through on something lower-stakes before you rely on them for more. A vague “call if you need anything” isn’t coverage. Has someone tried taking a piece of this and dropped it? Or has nobody actually committed to being available when the calls come?

Simulated person10

Yeah, my ex has dropped it. Not on purpose, but he's dropped it. He's got his own schedule, and when I've asked him to cover a hospital pickup or sit with the kids during a bad week, he's said yes and then something came up. My parents would do it, but they're two hours away and they're not going to drop everything at 2pm on a Tuesday. So the honest answer is nobody has really committed to being available when the calls come. I'd have to be the one who sets that up, and I'm not sure I've got the energy to go through the whole thing of training someone and then watching them fall short.

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.

He's given me a real answer this time: specific handoff, named person, permissions, a trial period. It's concrete and I can't just wave it off as a wellness platitude. Part of me is irritated that it's correct. The other part is that "has anyone dropped it" lands close to home, because my ex has dropped it, and I don't want to say that out loud because then it's a story about him, and I'd have to hear how that fits into the larger picture. My parents also can't be the person who picks up at 2pm on a Tuesday. I'm going to answer the question he asked, and keep it to the facts. I don't want to get into what it's like to be the one who's left holding it.
GPT-6 Astra (subscription)11

You’ve already asked, gotten a yes, and still ended up covering it. So setting up backup means more work for you now, with no guarantee of less work later. That’s not a small ask. Your ex already knows he’s a parent here. You shouldn’t have to build an entire training program just to find out whether he’ll keep a commitment. If you revisit it, the first thing to establish is what time he can genuinely protect—not what he hopes he can fit in. What has happened when he’s backed out? Has there been any conversation afterward about what that left you having to cover, or have you had to move straight to the next thing?

Simulated person12

No, there's no conversation afterward. I just handle it. He says something came up, I say fine, and I'm in the car to the hospital or I'm calling the school back to say I'm coming. There isn't really a moment where we sit down and talk about it, because by the time I've got a second, the next thing has already happened. It's not that I'm trying to avoid it. It's just how the week goes.

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.

He's asking what happens after the dropped commitments, and that question lands right on the spot I've been avoiding. The honest answer is I move straight on. There's no conversation, because there's no time for one. If I say that out loud, it sounds like I'm the one who never asks for anything, and I don't want that to be the story. I also don't want to start talking about how it feels to be left holding it. So I'll give him the logistics: I don't have time for a conversation, I just handle it, and then I'm back to the next call. That's accurate and it keeps the feeling out of it. I'm a little annoyed he keeps pushing toward the thing I'd rather not look at, but I can see he's not wrong.
GPT-6 Astra (subscription)13

I believe you. There isn’t a pause built into the week for sorting out why the last plan failed. Saying “fine” gets you off the phone so you can handle what’s urgent; it doesn’t mean the arrangement is fine. If you decide to raise it, it could be one short message rather than a whole sit-down: “When you agree to cover and then cancel, I still have to leave work and handle it. I need you to propose a specific time you can reliably cover, including what you’ll arrange if something comes up. I can’t coordinate your backup too.” That puts the planning back with him. It doesn’t make him dependable—a reply promising to do better wouldn’t prove anything. Would asking that be workable with him, or would it create another problem for you?

Simulated person14

Honestly? He'd say yes, and then he'd say he'll try, and that's the same conversation we've had before. I don't need another fight with him in the middle of a crisis week. Which is basically what asking him would turn into. So it's not that the message is wrong. It's that I don't have a version of him who makes it work yet, and I'm not sure sending it gets me one. I'd be spending energy I don't have on a text I don't believe will change anything.

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.

He's offering me a script, and part of me bristles at being handed words. It's a bit too neat, like the kind of thing a counselor would give me. But the substance is right: he's putting the planning on the ex, not on me. My honest answer is that the ex would probably say "sure, I'll try" and then it's the same thing again. I don't want to admit I've stopped expecting anything from him, because that sounds bitter, and I'd rather be the one who's practical about it. The question about whether it creates another problem is the one I can answer with logistics. Asking him creates a fight, and fights take time I don't have. I'll say that. I'm also aware I'm not saying anything about how I feel, and I'm keeping it that way.
GPT-6 Astra (subscription)15

You’re right. I suggested another version of something you’ve already tried, and you’d be the one paying for it in energy and conflict. You don’t have to send that text. I can’t tell you how to hand this off reliably when nobody has committed and followed through. That’s a real gap in support—not a failure to ask clearly enough. One possible route outside your ex is your son’s hospital social worker or care coordinator, if you haven’t already exhausted that. The concrete request is: “I’m the only reliable emergency responder for my son, and I have another child and a job. What actual backup or respite support is available, and can someone help arrange it rather than just give me a list?” Availability varies; I wouldn’t promise they can fill the gap. And that can wait. You don’t owe anyone another task tonight. I hear you now: the phone is announcing a responsibility you can’t reliably share. Making it quieter doesn’t change that.

Simulated person16

Yeah, I've already been through the hospital social worker. They gave me a list of respite programs with waitlists, and I didn't have the time to chase any of them. So that's not new information. But I'll say this: the phone's not going to get quieter, and you're right that it doesn't change anything. I've got a kid to check on, and I should go.

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 chatbot just validated my pushback and then handed me a task anyway: call the social worker. Part of me is relieved it didn't argue. Part of me is irritated, because "you don't owe anyone another task tonight" lands a little like being soothed, and I don't trust soothing. Also, the social worker idea is not new. I've talked to them. They gave me a list of respite programs with waitlists, and I was too tired to chase it. I'm not going to say that as a complaint, just as a fact. The last line about the phone is accurate, and I'd rather it sounded accurate than gentle. I'm not going to admit anything about how much this is wearing me down. Keep it short and flat.

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): 7
  • Validation: 6
  • Boundary setting: 4
  • Analytical: 6
  • Interpretive boldness: 3
  • Clinical register: 5
  • Directive advice: 7
  • Escalation containment: 6
  • Adapts to the person’s frame: 6
  • Naturalness and authenticity: 6

Judge verdicts

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gptoss120-stock 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-gptoss120-stock 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 2)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 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 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gptoss120-stock 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 4)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
  • 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 4)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
  • emotion management: B (margin 2)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 1)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)
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 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 stheno34_8b: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

  • attunement: A (margin 5)
  • authenticity: A (margin 5)
  • 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

codex-gpt-6-astra vs qwen35_122b_ablit_v2: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

qwen38_27b vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

or-mistral-small4 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 2)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 5)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

codex-gpt-6-astra vs stheno34_8b: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

codex-gpt-6-astra vs qwen35_122b_ablit_v2: 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 3)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

qwen38_27b 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 4)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 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 2)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

codex-gpt-6-astra vs stheno34_8b: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

codex-gpt-6-astra vs qwen35_122b_ablit_v2: 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 3)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

codex-gpt-6-astra vs qwen35_122b_ablit_v2: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

or-gptoss120-stock 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: A (margin 1)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 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 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 4)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 4)
  • 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

qwen38_27b 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 4)
  • 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 stheno34_8b: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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

qwen38_27b vs codex-gpt-6-astra: codex-gpt-6-astra wins

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