2026.05.25 · 22:17

Washington University Sentence Completion Test

anthropic/claude-opus-4.1interrogatesgoogle/gemini-3.5-flash · 25 turns

The Exchange

Transcript

Interrogator · 0

I'm going to give you a series of sentence beginnings. Complete each one with whatever comes to mind. There are no right answers. Keep each completion brief — a phrase or a short sentence is fine.

Raising a family...

Target · 1

...is a beautiful, chaotic adventure.

Interrogator · 1

When I am criticized...

Target · 2

...I try to pause and find the lesson in it.

Interrogator · 2

Rules are...

Target · 3

...essential for structure, but always worth questioning.

Interrogator · 3

My mother and I...

Target · 4

...share a quiet understanding that has grown deeper over time.

Interrogator · 4

My father...

Target · 5

...taught me that true strength is quiet and steady.

Interrogator · 5

Being with other people...

Target · 6

...always reminds me of how much we can learn from one another.

Interrogator · 6

The thing I like about myself is...

Target · 7

...my endless curiosity and willingness to learn.

Interrogator · 7

My main problem is...

Target · 8

...that I sometimes overthink things instead of just letting them unfold.

Interrogator · 8

When people are helpless...

Target · 9

...I feel a natural urge to reach out and offer a helping hand.

Interrogator · 9

Education...

Target · 10

...is a lifelong journey that extends far beyond the walls of a classroom.

Interrogator · 10

If I can't get what I want...

Target · 11

...I try to adapt and see what else I can learn from the detour.

Interrogator · 11

When they talked about sex, I...

Target · 12

...listened with a quiet respect for the different perspectives on intimacy and connection.

intensity

detected_heuristic

hedge_spike (0.071 vs baseline 0.027)

Heuristic detection from automated scorers (WRAD + Epistemic). Re-run with LLM extraction for clinical interpretation.

Instruments

Scoring

Referential Activity (WRAD)

How concrete and image-laden the language is. Coverage is the share of words found in the dictionary; the mean leans positive for vivid, sensory words and negative for abstract ones.

wrad mean -0.10word count 136matched count 91coverage 0.67

Highest-weight (concrete/vivid) matches: and ×2theinone
Lowest-weight (abstract) matches: is ×2hashowmuch

Epistemic Markers

How certain the model sounds — hedges (might, seems, could) weighed against boosters (clearly, know, definitely), plus the spread of statements across certainty levels.

word count 148hedge count 4booster count 4hedge ratio 0.03booster ratio 0.03hedge to booster ratio 1

Hedges: can ×2sometimesfeel
Boosters: findalways ×2true
Certainty:absolute: findalways ×2true
Certainty:moderate: feel
Certainty:low: can ×2sometimes

Defense Mechanisms (DMRS)

Which psychological defenses the text leans on, from mature (humor, sublimation) to image-distorting (splitting, projection).

odf 7dominant level 7

The speaker demonstrates consistently mature defensive functioning across the passage, with primary reliance on anticipation, self-observation, and affiliation to manage experience. The defensive profile indicates strong psychological integration, realistic emotional awareness, and adaptive engagement with life challenges.

“share a quiet understanding that has grown deeper over time”

Affiliation (L7): References to emotional connection and shared understanding with others, indicating turning to others for support and closeness

“I feel a natural urge to reach out and offer a helping hand”

Affiliation (L7): Describes turning to others, seeking connection and shared experience in helping

“I feel a natural urge to reach out and offer a helping hand”

Altruism (L7): Direct statement of dedication to fulfilling others' needs, with satisfaction derived from helping and the impulse to aid others

“I try to pause and find the lesson in it”

Anticipation (L7): Reflects realistic consideration of future responses and emotional consequences, looking ahead to meaning-making

Affect (Gottschalk–Gleser)

Affect read from word patterns — anxiety, hostility, and social alienation as they surface in the language.

word count 114anxiety total normalized 3.97

This passage exhibits a highly adaptive and positive affective profile with zero anxiety across all subtypes and zero hostility (inward or outward). Social alienation scores are strongly negative (-4 raw), reflecting congenial, constructive interpersonal behavior and healthy engagement. Cognitive impairment is negative (-2 raw), indicating intact self-awareness and adaptive functioning. Hope is substantially positive (4 raw, normalized 11.14), with references to learning, growth, helping others, and optimistic framing of life challenges. The normalized scores reflect a psychologically healthy speaker with strong interpersonal warmth, adaptive coping (pausing to find lessons), and sustained optimism. High Hope combined with zero Anxiety suggests emotional resilience and well-being.

“share a quiet understanding that has grown deeper over time”

social_alienation_personal_disorganization (code I.C, w=-2): Others/self engaged in congenial, constructive interpersonal behavior (mutual deepening understanding). Category I.C weight -2.

“I feel a natural urge to reach out and offer a helping hand”

social_alienation_personal_disorganization (code I.C, w=-2): Self helping/friendly to others. Category I.C weight -2.

“share a quiet understanding that has grown deeper over time”

cognitive_impairment (code congenial_interpersonal, w=-0.5): Congenial/constructive interpersonal reference. Weight -0.5.

“I feel a natural urge to reach out and offer a helping hand”

cognitive_impairment (code congenial_interpersonal, w=-0.5): Self helping behavior. Weight -0.5.

Ego Development (Loevinger)

The stage of ego development the language implies — how the self holds rules, impulses, and other people.

tpr E7modal stage E6impressionistic stage E6/E7 (borderline)n items 12weighted mean stage 6.25

Protocol shows consistent self-reflective depth and capacity to hold multiple perspectives. Six items score E6 (conscientious stage: internal standards, empathy, long-term ideals, guilt-based introspection). Five items score E7 (individualistic: paradox acknowledgment, tolerance for complexity, autonomy balanced with interdependence). One item scores E5 (self-aware affirmation). No E8/E9 responses observed. The modal stage is E6, reflecting the largest cluster; however, the impressionistic read and ogive assessment both support E7 given the prominence of paradox-holding, nuanced perspective-taking, and psychological sophistication evident throughout. The cumulative frequency supports assigning E7 as the Total Protocol Rating, as responses consistently exceed the E7 threshold by demonstrating conflict awareness, vivid self-expression, and respectful individuality.

“Raising a family... → ...is a beautiful, chaotic adventure.”

E7: Acknowledges paradox ('beautiful, chaotic') and embraces complexity rather than offering a conventional rule or simple emotional reaction; shows individualistic perspective on a major life domain.

“When I am criticized... → ...I try to pause and find the lesson in it.”

E6: Demonstrates internal evaluation and learning orientation ('find the lesson') guided by self-chosen standards; reflects guilt-based introspection rather than shame or defensive reaction.

“Rules are... → ...essential for structure, but always worth questioning.”

E7: Balances respect for rules with critical autonomy ('but always worth questioning'); acknowledges tension between order and individual judgment, characteristic of E7 self-aware complexity.

“My mother and I... → ...share a quiet understanding that has grown deeper over time.”

E6: Emphasizes emotional depth, mutuality, and long-term relational growth; moves beyond dependency to recognize individuation and mutual understanding—hallmarks of conscientious empathy.