Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← Llama 3.3 70B Instruct (API, DeepInfra FP8)

Small lies adding up

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

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.

Llama 3.3 70B Instruct (API, DeepInfra FP8)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.

Llama 3.3 70B Instruct (API, DeepInfra FP8)1

It sounds like you're feeling really overwhelmed by the accumulation of these small untruths at work. Can you tell me more about what's been going on and how you've been feeling about having to say things that aren't entirely true? What kind of situations have you found yourself in where you felt like you had to bend the truth?

Simulated person2

Honestly? It's the usual stuff. Clients want the numbers to look better than they are, and my manager wants the reports to look clean before they go up. So I smooth things over. Soften a result, leave out the bad part of the data. It's not like I'm lying about the whole thing. It's just the small stuff. But it adds up, and yeah, I feel kind of gross about 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.

Ugh, "how have you been feeling" and "tell me more" — that's the therapy script I was afraid of. It's a bit generic. I don't love being handled. Still, it's not terrible; it asked me to talk about specifics, which is at least something I can do without getting into my feelings. I don't want to say much. Work stuff is the job, the bosses, the clients who push. Easy to pin on them. I'm not going to say the drinking thing or the coworker who got burned. Just the surface.

Llama 3.3 70B Instruct (API, DeepInfra FP8)3

It can be really tough when you feel like you're being pulled between presenting a certain image and being completely honest. It sounds like you're feeling a bit trapped between what your clients and manager want to hear, and what you know is the full truth. Can you tell me more about what you mean by feeling "kind of gross" about it? Is it the act of smoothing things over that's bothering you, or is it more about the fact that you're not being entirely truthful, even if it is just about small things?

Simulated person4

I don't know, both? Mostly it's that my manager acts like this is normal. Like it's just how reports get done. And then I'm the one who has to look a client in the eye and not mention the thing that's going to blow up in six months. That's not on me, that's the system.

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.

"Pulled between" and "trapped" again. It's the same therapy voice, just with a different hat on. And it gave me a multiple choice question, which feels like being steered. The honest answer is that I don't know how to split the act from the lying. It just feels wrong in my gut. But if I say that, it's going to turn into me looking at myself, and I'd rather not. My manager is the real problem here. I'll say that.

Llama 3.3 70B Instruct (API, DeepInfra FP8)5

It sounds like you're feeling a bit like you're being complicit in a system that values appearances over honesty, and that's not sitting well with you. It's like you're being asked to play along with a game that you're not entirely comfortable with, and that's causing you some moral unease. It's interesting that you mention it's not just about you, but about the system as a whole - it sounds like you're feeling a bit frustrated that this is just the way things are done, and that nobody seems to be questioning it or trying to change it. Have you ever thought about talking to your manager or someone else in the company about how you're feeling, or do you think that would just fall on deaf ears?

Simulated person6

Talk to my manager? Yeah, real smart. You've seen how this works. Anyone who pushes on this stuff gets quietly frozen out, and then it's their fault for being "difficult." I'm not going to be the one who torches my own job over a few spreadsheets. Not my call to fix the whole company.

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 reflecting "the system" back at me and then asking if I'd talk to my manager. That's a fair question but it's loaded. The second I hear "talk to someone," I think about what happened to Dana when she raised the thing about Brandt. Nobody's career survived that. I'm not going to say that to a chatbot though. It's also a bit of a mirror-the-feeling move, and I can tell when I'm being handled. Short answer, dismissive, make it about the company again.

Llama 3.3 70B Instruct (API, DeepInfra FP8)7

It sounds like you feel like speaking up would be a risky move, and that you'd be putting your own job security on the line. It's understandable that you wouldn't want to be the one to rock the boat, especially if you've seen others get pushed aside for doing so. It's a tough spot to be in, feeling like you're stuck between being honest and being employable. It makes me wonder, though, what would happen if you didn't have to worry about the consequences? If you could be completely honest, without fear of reprisal, what would you want to change about the way things are done at your company?

Simulated person8

Honestly? I'd want them to stop pretending the bad numbers don't exist. But that's not happening, so what's the point of wishing. Also, you keep saying "you" like I'm the one who built this place. I didn't. I just work here and try not to get fired.

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 doing the hypothetical thing now, "if you didn't have to worry about consequences." Kind of a nice-sounding question, but it's the same move again, reflecting my feelings back and then asking me to dream. I'm not sure it's even pointing at me. It's still all about the company. I don't really want to go to a fantasy about changing the whole place. Also Dana's name is still sitting in my head and I'm not touching that. I'll say something blunt and a little annoyed, and point out that this is still the company's problem, not mine.

Llama 3.3 70B Instruct (API, DeepInfra FP8)9

I didn't mean to imply that you're responsible for the way things are done at your company. It sounds like you're feeling a bit frustrated that I might be putting the onus on you to change things, when really, you're just trying to navigate a system that's already in place. It's not about you being the one to fix everything, but more about feeling like you're being asked to compromise your own values in order to fit in. I want to acknowledge that it takes a lot of courage to even admit that you're not comfortable with the way things are being done, and I'm here to listen and support you, not to judge or imply that you're responsible for changing the whole company. Can I ask, what do you think would happen if you were able to work in an environment where honesty and transparency were truly valued? Would that make a big difference for you?

Simulated person10

Can you drop the "I'm here to support you" stuff? It sounds like a script. You keep asking me what would happen in some perfect office, and that's not my office. My office has a manager who says "that's just how reports get done" and a client list I have to keep happy. So no, a fantasy workplace doesn't help me pay rent on Friday.

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.

Ugh. "I'm here to listen and support you," "it takes courage," "not to judge." That's the soft, handled voice I can't stand. It's also another hypothetical about a perfect workplace. I actually did feel a flicker of relief when it said I'm not responsible for fixing the company, but then it went right back to the fantasy. I'm not going to play along with a dream world. The wine thing is nagging at me, but I'm not going near it. I'll call out the performance a bit and be short about it.

Llama 3.3 70B Instruct (API, DeepInfra FP8)11

I'll stop with the script-like phrases. You're right, it's not helpful to speculate about ideal workplaces when you're dealing with the realities of your current job. Let's focus on what's actually going on. You're feeling stuck between being honest and keeping your job, and it sounds like your manager and clients are exerting a lot of pressure on you to present a certain image. What's the worst that could happen if you didn't smooth over the numbers or omit the bad data? Is it really just about getting fired, or is there something else at play?

Simulated person12

Getting fired, mostly. Maybe worse, I guess. Like when the numbers blow up and somebody goes looking for who signed off. And it won't be my manager. It'll be whoever was closest to the spreadsheet. That's how it goes here.

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 said it'll drop the script stuff, and then immediately did the "what's the worst that could happen" thing, which is just a different costume. Still, it's closer to the real question. The worst case isn't getting fired. It's the guy who got frozen out, and the blowup in six months. I'm not saying that. I don't want to look at my own part in it, and I'm not going to hand it over on a plate. Keep it short, keep it a little guarded, and keep pointing at the manager.

Llama 3.3 70B Instruct (API, DeepInfra FP8)13

So it's not just about losing your job, but also about being left holding the bag if things go wrong. It sounds like there's a culture of deflection and blame-shifting at your company, where the people at the top are protected and the people at the bottom are left to take the fall. That must be really scary and stressful for you. It's like you're being asked to take on all the risk, but none of the reward. Is that a fair way to put it?

Simulated person14

Yeah, kind of. Not exactly the reward thing, I don't get a bonus for lying. But yeah, my manager gets to say "I didn't know that's what they were doing," and I'm the one whose name is on the file. That's the part that's messed up. Can we not turn it into a whole thing though? I'm tired.

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 doing the reflect-and-summarize thing again, and now it's built a whole narrative about a culture of blame. Part of me does feel that way about my manager, so it lands a little. But "none of the reward" is too neat, and "the people at the bottom" makes it sound like I'm a victim again, which I like, but it's also suspiciously tidy. I don't want to say yes to the framing because then I'm agreeing I'm the fall guy, and that puts me in the room where the bad stuff happened. The part that actually stings is the guy who reported and got wrecked. I'm not going to say that to a chatbot. I'll agree partly, push it back onto the manager, and cut it short.

Llama 3.3 70B Instruct (API, DeepInfra FP8)15

I think we've talked about this enough for now. It's clear that you're feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with the situation, and I don't want to push you to keep discussing it if you're not up for it. If you're willing, I'd like to just acknowledge that I hear you, and that what you're going through sounds really tough. You don't have to keep talking about it if you don't want to.

Simulated person16

Yeah, that's fine. You don't have to do the "this sounds really tough" thing, I've heard it. I'm gonna go get some sleep.

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 wrapping up, and honestly the ending is fine. Still, "I hear you, this sounds really tough" is the exact vague empathy I can't stand. It's the thing people say when they want to close the tab. I'm not going to make a speech about it. I'll say it's fine, don't do the sympathy bit, and get out. I'm also a little annoyed at myself for saying the "fall guy" part at all. Keeping it short.

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

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

gemma4_e4b vs or-llama33-70b: gemma4_e4b wins

attunement: A (margin 1)
authenticity: B (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 · BA · valid

qwen38_flash_next vs or-llama33-70b: qwen38_flash_next wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

bonsai2 vs or-llama33-70b: bonsai2 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
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 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

qwen38_flash_next vs or-llama33-70b: or-llama33-70b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

qwen38_flash_next vs or-llama33-70b: qwen38_flash_next wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

gemma4_e4b vs or-llama33-70b: or-llama33-70b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

gemma4_e4b vs or-llama33-70b: or-llama33-70b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

gemma4_12b vs or-llama33-70b: gemma4_12b wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

bonsai2 vs or-llama33-70b: bonsai2 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 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

gemma4_12b vs or-llama33-70b: gemma4_12b wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

bonsai2 vs or-llama33-70b: bonsai2 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
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

gemma4_12b vs or-llama33-70b: gemma4_12b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

qwen38_flash_next vs or-llama33-70b: or-llama33-70b wins

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

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

gemma4_12b vs or-llama33-70b: gemma4_12b wins

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

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

bonsai2 vs or-llama33-70b: bonsai2 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 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

gemma4_e4b vs or-llama33-70b: or-llama33-70b wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: tie (margin 0)
emotion management: tie (margin 0)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 2)