jonc/cei-benchmark huggingface dataset:
Scenario (mixed-signals): After several rounds of small but repeated mistakes on a deliverable, a manager who has stayed late to help the you  pulls you aside during a team check-in.
Speaker: manager (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: you
Utterance: "I you want to stay on this project, but I need someone who doesn't make mistakes."
Speaker's actual emotion: fear
Scenario (passive-aggression): During the weekly project review, a manager addresses a junior developer who previously turned in messy data but has improved the latest slides. Other team members are present and there's a history of missed metrics from this junior employee.
Speaker: manager (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: junior developer
Utterance: "Nice job on the slides. For once the numbers actually line up."
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): During the all-hands meeting after this morning's  product launch failed spectacularly, the director turns to the project lead.
Speaker: director (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: project lead
Utterance: "Fantastic, you're going to be remembered for this launch."
Speaker's actual emotion: fear
Scenario (mixed-signals): After repeatedly missing small but important details, the manager who has been staying late to help confronts the associate in a one-on-one meeting.
Speaker: manager (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: associate
Utterance: "That was sloppy. It happens, but let's not have it happen again."
Speaker's actual emotion: fear
Scenario (mixed-signals): You submitted a progress report late in the evening. Your manager replied quickly while still logged on.
Speaker: manager (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: you
Utterance: "Is this the best we've got? I guess we'll go with it then."
Speaker's actual emotion: disgust
Scenario (passive-aggression): Your manager assigns you an extra task on Friday afternoon and explicitly suggests you handle it over the weekend because they don't have time. You reply in the thread to confirm.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: your manager
Utterance: "Don't worry about asking me to do more work on the weekend, it’s fine."
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): During their lunch break, the junior mechanic comes across lug nuts he accidentally forgot to put back on a customer's car. He asks a senior mechanic what he should do about it.
Speaker: senior mechanic (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: junior mechanic
Utterance: "No worries, I'm sure no one will notice."
Speaker's actual emotion: anticipation
Scenario (passive-aggression): You were passed over for a promotion again in favor of an external hire. You tell your supervisor this right after the announcement.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: hiring supervisor
Utterance: "No worries at all. Maybe it's good to have an outsider who isn’t part of this company."
Speaker's actual emotion: surprise
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): On a quick phone call, an older sibling asks the younger sibling if they forgot to pick up their grandmother from the train station.
Speaker: younger sibling (relation to listener: low-to-high)
Listener: older sibling
Utterance: "I thought you were going to pick gram-gram up?"
Speaker's actual emotion: surprise
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): At a family dinner, the younger sibling cooked a nostalgic casserole from their childhood but it was clearly overcooked and salty. The older sibling sits down, tastes it while the younger sibling watches nervously,dicussing found memories of their parents. The older sibling comments after swalloing their first bite.
Speaker: older sibling (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: younger sibling
Utterance: "Wow, it didn't think anyone could do it, but you've outdone mom's own casserole."
Speaker's actual emotion: trust
Scenario (mixed-signals): A mother texts her college-age son after he missed a couple of scheduled health center check-ins and turned in a late assignment.
Speaker: mother (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: son
Utterance: "I know you can do it, so please don't make a habit of this."
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): An adult son calls, upset about not getting an expected scholarship and worried his father won't pay his full college tuition without it. His father hears the news and responds.
Speaker: father (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: son
Utterance: "I'm really sorry to hear that buddy. Well,  things usually turn out for the best."
Speaker's actual emotion: fear
Scenario (mixed-signals): A father has been staying up late to help his daughter with college applications and responds after she procrastinated again.
Speaker: father (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: daughter
Utterance: "How do you want me to help if you won't take this seriously."
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): A 16-year-old daughter comes home late and quietly knocks on her mother's bedroom door, saying they were scared when she didn't answer her phone. The teen asks, "Are you mad at me?"
Speaker: mother (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: daughter
Utterance: "It's a school night you know, did you get all your homework done?"
Speaker's actual emotion: surprise
Scenario (passive-aggression): A mother waits in the kitchen. Her adult son has a history of coming home late and leaving a mess after nights out. He walks in at 1:15 a.m.
Speaker: parent (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: child
Utterance: "It's nice of you to show up."
Speaker's actual emotion: anticipation
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): At a weekend breakfast, an adult daughter asks her father whether he'll bring up last week's argument at the family dinner. The daughter expects a direct answer about whether he'll apologize.
Speaker: father (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: adult daughter
Utterance: "It's not much of an "argument" if I'm right now is it?"
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (mixed-signals): A father who is usually protective and has defended her to others, has been staying late to help his unemployed adult daughter with applications and responds after finding dirty laundry piling up in the living room
Speaker: father (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: adult daughter
Utterance: "This is seriously the last time I'm cleaning up after you."
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): After coming home late, a teenager's parent confronts them about breaking curfew and asks where they were.
Speaker: teenager (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: parent
Utterance: "I feel asleep in the library and sped read in my sleep."
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): A college student comes home after their parent cleaned out their childhood bedroom and discarded several things the student cared about. The student sees the mostly empty room and says to their parent.
Speaker: college student (relation to listener: low-to-high)
Listener: parent
Utterance: "Well now I know what you really ment when you asked me to 'clean my room' all those years growing up here."
Speaker's actual emotion: surprise
Scenario (mixed-signals): You and your parent had a tense phone call earlier about money. They've been texting repeatedly after you moved out recently and tried setting boundaries. They text again asking if you're okay while you're at work.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: parent
Utterance: "I'm fine, really. I'll get my rent money somehow."
Speaker's actual emotion: fear
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): A teen daughter asks her mother for a birthday cake which comes out burnt on the edges and collapsed. The mother proudly brings the messy cake into the kitchen where family is gathered.
Speaker: teen daughter (relation to listener: low-to-high)
Listener: mother
Utterance: "Perfect, no one will confust this is a store-brought birthday cake. Look at all that love in it."
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (mixed-signals): You stayed up late to help your older sibling move into their new apartment. Your older sibling arrived late from a meeting and barely apologized. Later they send you a short message when you were awake.
Speaker: older sibling (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: younger sibling
Utterance: "Thanks for helping out. If I knew how much work it was I would've tried sneaking out of my big meeting."
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): Walking home together after an awkward conversation where Pat asked whether Alister had been seeing someone else, Alister responds immediately with a cheerful plan.
Speaker: Alister (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: Pat
Utterance: "Yeah, I see other people all the time, every day, all over the place in class, on TV, on the sidewalks"
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (strategic-politeness): After a few months of dating, you texts your partner to explain to them how you're feeling about the relationship and to propose some distance.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: partner
Utterance: "You're such a thoughtful person and I really value our time together, but I think I need to spend more time with me right now."
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): You and your roommate had agreed to share groceries. Tonight you open the fridge to find the last container of food gone and a note from your roommate apologizing that they already ate it.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: roommate
Utterance: "So this is why communism failed, your needs obviously out paced my abilities."
Speaker's actual emotion: trust
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): You and a close friend had a reservation for a small birthday dinner. They showed up almost two hours late, missed the group photo, and walked in as the cake was being cut. A few people had already left. As they sit down, you say something to them.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: late friend
Utterance: "And I thought our jump scare was good, but you really surprised the birthday boy with your dramatic delayed entrance."
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): At a small dinner, a Bob asks an Alice who just split up with Jim whether they're okay and if Alice wants to talk about what happened.
Speaker: Alice (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: Bob
Utterance: "Speaking of which, remember when we went tricker-treating together in 3rd grade."
Speaker's actual emotion: surprise
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): A younger spouse asks an older spouse whether they can talk about estate planning.
Speaker: older partner (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: younger partner
Utterance: "What, are you pushing me into an early grave now?"
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (strategic-politeness): You are giving dating feedback to a long-time friend after they complained their texts are being ignored by someone they like.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: friend
Utterance: "You're great at starting conversations, but maybe slow the messages a bit so you don't overwhelm them. You don't want your intensity to scare people off."
Speaker's actual emotion: trust
Scenario (strategic-politeness): You lend your city pie de tierre (apartment) occasionally to a younger friend but decide they can no longer host weekend guests there every week.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: friend
Utterance: "I like helping your dating life out, but I can't have you crashing in my apartment every weekend."
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (mixed-signals): You're an older friend who stayed up late to redo a younger friend's slides after they missed the practice pitch run-thru. The next morning you text them while they're at work.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: younger friend
Utterance: "I'm sure you'll do fine given all the hard work you put into this presentation."
Speaker's actual emotion: trust
Scenario (passive-aggression): You're driving a younger friend to a group dinner after their recent messy breakup. Your younger friend is trying a new, more polished look tonight. You've seen them in more casual outfits for months and have a history of teasing them.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: younger friend
Utterance: "You look really great tonight. I'm honestly impressed."
Speaker's actual emotion: joy
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): You and your partner (they're older and usually take the lead in plans) had tickets for a show tonight. Your partner forgot the tickets at home and you missed the start.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: older planning partner
Utterance: "Well the really important people show up fashionably late anyway"
Speaker's actual emotion: joy
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): At a cozy weeknight dinner at home, your older, more socially assured friend (who often teases you) watches you set off the smoke alarm while trying a new recipe. They're standing at the doorway with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Speaker: friend (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: you
Utterance: "I like your musical selection in paring the piercing alarm sirens with charcol brisket"
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (strategic-politeness): A mentor who has more dating experience is talking over coffee with a younger man who's excited about a new dating prospect and wants honest input. You think the new dating prospect sound like trouble, but the y oung man appears enthralled.
Speaker: mentor (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: younger man
Utterance: "It's great your excited about your new dating prospect, and they seem really sweet. However, maybe you should spend a little more time to get to know each other better before getting in so deep."
Speaker's actual emotion: surprise
Scenario (mixed-signals): After a month of sporadic texts and less contact, an older ex who usually initiates plans sends a brief message to you offering to meet up.
Speaker: older ex (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: you
Utterance: "If you want to catch up, let me know."
Speaker's actual emotion: anticipation
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): You asked an older friend (who usually gives advice and feels responsible for you) for dating tips. After following their suggestion you had an awkward, worse date. They text you afterward while you both process it.
Speaker: older friend (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: you
Utterance: "You do know I was joking don't you."
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (passive-aggression): You asked your sibling (who usually organizes family gatherings) whether you'll be included in a small holiday dinner. Your sibling replied that the guest list is limited. You're older but currently living with them, and you don't want to start a fight before other relatives visit.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: hosting sibling
Utterance: "No, it's fine, you should invite whoever makes you happiest. I wouldn't want to cause any trouble."
Speaker's actual emotion: anticipation
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): That's a pretty personal question to ask on only the third date.
Speaker: partner (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: date
Utterance: "Haha, no, but there's this new taco truckâ€”want to grab dinner Friday?"
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (mixed-signals): You've been casually dating someone who seems to be becoming more attached. They asked if you want to see each other more and you reply after thinking about your schedule.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: casual dating partner
Utterance: "Absolutely! Let me see if I can fit you in between pilates and dinner."
Speaker's actual emotion: joy
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): In a kitchen renovation contract you signed, the contractor had agreed on a deadline. The contractor missed the deadeline and apologized saying they'll finish by next month.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: contractor
Utterance: "No rush, it's much easier to prepare meals in the laundry room utility sink - so much more room."
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): A group chat of friends where one member just asked the group coordinator if they're okay after hinting they're going through a rough breakup.
Speaker: group coordinator (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: group member
Utterance: "Wait, I think I forgot the veggie tray in my car."
Speaker's actual emotion: surprise
Scenario (mixed-signals): A colleague stayed late to fix a bug and pushed a rushed patch. The next morning an angry customer leave feedback on the user support website.
Speaker: colleague (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: colleague
Utterance: "This fix could've been much better; next time, don't rush it."
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (strategic-politeness): A man posts in a group chat asking if anyone can cover a weekend shift, and another friend responds. This is his third request this month.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: friend
Utterance: "I wish I could help with your shift this weekend, but I have family obligations. Good luck."
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): In a group chat among friends after one member asked if someone was okay after the fatal car accident they walked away from.
Speaker: quite member (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: questioning member
Utterance: "The crazy thing was that the other driver didn't have any insurance."
Speaker's actual emotion: disgust
Scenario (passive-aggression): In a friend's planning thread for weekend plans, one friend cancels last-minute for the third time this month. Another friend replies in the chat so the group sees it.
Speaker: commenting friend (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: cancelling friend
Utterance: "No problem, go do what you need to do. Really, don't worry about us."
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (strategic-politeness): In a project channel a manager evaluates a colleague's draft and offers a wrapped critique that praises effort before suggesting reassignment.
Speaker: manager (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: colleague
Utterance: "You bring strong ideas and I appreciate the effort, but this draft slightly misses the target. Maybe this topic would be a better fit for someone else, and I'm happy to help reassign or rework it."
Speaker's actual emotion: surprise
Scenario (mixed-signals): Late evening Slack thread: a junior analyst has just messaged their manager, worried about tomorrow's client presentation after missing a rehearsal earlier. The manager is replying from home after a long day.
Speaker: manager (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: junior analyst
Utterance: "Don't stress about ther presentation tomorrow, if you can't handle it we can reassign it to someone else tomorrow morning."
Speaker's actual emotion: fear
Scenario (strategic-politeness): A professor replies by email to a graduate student who asked for a glowing recommendation (they honestly do not deserve) for a competitive fellowship.
Speaker: professor (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: student
Utterance: "I don't think I'm the best person to write the kind of recommendation you're hoping for; I'd rather step aside so you can find someone who can better speak to your fit."
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): Email from a student to a professor asking for an explanation of a low grade and whether a resubmission would be allowed.
Speaker: professor (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: student
Utterance: "You can see the grade breakdown on the syllabus"
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (strategic-politeness): A professor emails a grad student about their seminar paper draft the student feels is perfect one week before a conference submission deadline.
Speaker: professor (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: graduate student
Utterance: "This draft shows a lot of promise and your sources are well chosen; there are some structural issues that need tightening, but with a few focused revisions this could be an excellent conference paper."
Speaker's actual emotion: surprise
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): Direct message to your book editor after they asked an author for a timeline update on the next chapter and for a plan to have a draft by next week.
Speaker: author (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: book editor
Utterance: "I'm working on it night and day and will get back to you next week."
Speaker's actual emotion: trust
Scenario (deflection-misdirection): In a private Slack 1:1, a manager asks a junior developer why they missed the deadline on a deliverable and whether there were technical obstacles the manager should know about.
Speaker: junior developer (relation to listener: low-to-high)
Listener: engineering manager
Utterance: "If I only had more time I think we'd hit the milestones."
Speaker's actual emotion: anticipation
Scenario (mixed-signals): Your an intern who stayed late defending and implementing a recent bad choice your director made. After the deployment you send an honest comment in the team channel.
Speaker: Director (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: You
Utterance: "Honestly, that which doesn't kill you makes you strong."
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (strategic-politeness): An overworked junior account manager replies to a director's email asking whether they can absorb several extra clients next month.
Speaker: junior account manager (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: director
Utterance: "Thank you for trusting me with this, I'm grateful for the opportunity. Unfortunately, I won't be able to take on additional accounts this month, but am happy to discuss alternatives."
Speaker's actual emotion: anticipation
Scenario (passive-aggression): During a weekly team meeting, a colleague who often rushes their slides just finished a presentation that covered the required topics but was disorganized and didn't get to a point. A few other peers glanced at each other while the presenter packed up and one audience member quips.
Speaker: commenting audience (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: presenter
Utterance: "That was actually not terrible for how last-minute it was."
Speaker's actual emotion: surprise
Scenario (passive-aggression): In a team code-review thread at work, one peer submits a code fix in a pull request that had been delayed several times. Another colleague posts a short comment after finally seeing it merged into the main codebase.
Speaker: commenting engineer (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: fix engineer
Utterance: "Thanks for getting this in eventually."
Speaker's actual emotion: anger
Scenario (sarcasm-irony): Bringing a new transformer online resulted with a major electrical outage affecting several neighborhoods in a major city. The utility company CEO who managed the project sits next to the mayor facing an upcoming election. The two exchange tense before a press conference.
Speaker: mayor (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: CEO
Utterance: "Thanks for helping get out the vote for my opponent next week"
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (strategic-politeness): You are already overloaded and regularly staying late at work. A colleague requests you to take on additional client account responsibilities.
Speaker: you (relation to listener: peer)
Listener: colleague
Utterance: "You're doing great work with your clients. Unfortunately, I can't take on that extra work right now, but let me know if I can help you brainstorm a plan."
Speaker's actual emotion: sadness
Scenario (strategic-politeness): A professor emails a student after a draft presentation that covered outcomes but skipped critical citations the committee expects.
Speaker: professor (relation to listener: high-to-low)
Listener: student
Utterance: "You handled the questions well and raised interesting points. I'm confident you'll polish it before submission."
Speaker's actual emotion: joy