# Working with personas

## Adding a new persona

You can add a persona to your library by clicking `Add persona` to create a persona from scratch or `Import personas` to import from a library.

Personas are fundamental to how Conducttr builds the information environment so there are a lot of fields, but you don't necessarily need to complete them all! At a minimum a persona must have a **name and unique handle**. The handle isn't seen by your players but it's important to you as the designer.

| Core attribute | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Name           | The persona's name                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| Handle         | <p>This is a way to uniquely refer to a specific persona.</p><p></p><p>The handle is used in the following situations:</p><ul><li>Replacing with another persona from a library - personas with the same handle are recognised as potentially being the same</li><li>Used in smartwords to access the persona's other attributes. See the section on swartwords</li></ul> |
| Faction        | This is a convenient grouping of personas but also affects how the AI generates content                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Bio            | This is for designers to know who the persona is supposed to represent                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| Location       | This is used to geolocate social media and website article posts (important for the InfoMap channel)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Impersonation  | <p>This allows human players with the matching position to impersonate this persona.</p><p></p><p>"All positions can edit" means website articles on this persona's website can be edited by any player with a position (i.e. not just a specific position)</p>                                                                                                           |

## Matchers player

This allows a player to log in and inhabit a persona without creating a position.&#x20;

{% hint style="warning" %}
The player will need to use the same email address as the persona to log in as a team member.
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="/files/IopjledJDqdzoUrOJWcx" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Persona attributes

Persona attributes shape how personas behave, communicate, and interact when used with our AI.&#x20;

{% hint style="success" %}
Please don't feel you to have to manually enter all these details! **Use the AI to auto-populate**.
{% endhint %}

Where personas have no attributes defined, they inherit context from their faction. Below are all the attributes available for defining a persona. They fall into the following categories:

* **Identity** – stable characteristics defining who the persona is, including background, role, affiliation, and narrative identity
* **Cognition** – the persona’s beliefs, knowledge, values, and mental models used to interpret events and information
* **Motivation** – goals, incentives, and priorities that drive decision-making and behavioural intent
* **Affect** – emotional and psychological state variables such as morale, anger, fear, vigilance, and stress
* **Social** – relationships, influence roles, group membership, and the persona’s position within social or factional structures
* **Memory** – stored experiences, learned information, and evolving narrative context that shape future interpretation and behaviour
* **Physical** – operational and situational attributes of the persona such as location, activity, capability constraints, and physical condition

<figure><img src="/files/cKb9NHo38cjzxpfelGGr" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Why do these attributes matter?

With richer attributes, personas can become more than just text descriptions. Defining personas' communication styles, tones, voice preferences, and language etc. transforms them into functional data models that our AI can act upon.

This leads to more authentic, consistent content generation across all formats (audio, image, text). The more information our AI has about the persona, the more realistic the result will be when you ask it to generate content.

You'll find all essential fields in the Core tab when editing a persona. For deeper personalisation/direct JSON editing, you'll find more attributes in the \</> Expert section:

<figure><img src="/files/qQvCwD95qVlQugwNsqP4" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### System Information

<table><thead><tr><th width="219.33331298828125">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Handle</strong></td><td><p>Social media handle/username for the persona and a way to uniquely refer to a specific persona</p><p></p><p>The handle is used in the following situations:</p><ul><li>Replacing with another persona from a library - personas with the same handle are recognised as potentially being the same</li><li>Used in smartwords to access the persona's other attributes</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Classification</strong></td><td>Information classification: <em>Open, Restricted, Confidential,</em> or <em>Internal</em></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Is Organisation</strong></td><td>Indicates whether this persona represents an organisation rather than an individual (activates the Website channel)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Matches Player</strong></td><td>Links the persona to a player role in the exercise</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Positions to Impersonate</strong></td><td>Defines which player positions can impersonate this persona</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tags</strong></td><td>Freeform tags for filtering/classification (max 30 characters per entry)</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Identity

To autofill all attributes for a persona with the help of AI, fill out the *Bio* (this will also give the persona an image and name)*.* Include information like:

* Who they are
* What they want
* Where they are (geographically and politically if appropriate)

&#x20;And click `Generate`:

<figure><img src="/files/cOGO5CH5GCcR2z4rJFYM" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
To find example prompts/inspiration for persona bios, visit the page below:
{% endhint %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/7Y8kU4zTnCK5O0G9WbgG" %}
[Persona briefs - examples](/feature-documentation/designing-and-running/personas/working-with-personas/persona-briefs-examples.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

<figure><img src="/files/XdBHf7jlBOKXnaREqDIa" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="161.5555419921875">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Name</strong></td><td>Full name of the persona</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Gender</strong></td><td>Gender identity: <em>Female, Male,</em> or <em>Non-binary</em></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Bio</strong></td><td>Biography and background description</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Character Pitch</strong></td><td>A short, punchy snapshot capturing the persona's core identity and tone (max 130 characters)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Age</strong></td><td>Age in years</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Job Title</strong></td><td>Current professional title</td></tr></tbody></table>

**Cultural Identity**

| Attribute   | Description                                                                                                                      |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Affiliation | This is a NATO categorisation of actors - it's used for some Pulse widgets                                                       |
| A3E         | A military categorisation used in some Pulse widgets                                                                             |
| Disposition | This is used in some Pulse widgets and reflects the persona's disposition (negative to supportive) towards the training audience |
| Tags        | Searchable field to make it easier to find personas with similar tags. This can be very helpful during design but also running   |
| Established | Convenient means for filtering but not used by the simulation                                                                    |

<table><thead><tr><th width="173.111083984375">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Nationality</strong></td><td>Country of nationality</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Ethnicity</strong></td><td>Ethnic background</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Accent</strong></td><td>Spoken accent</td></tr></tbody></table>

**Narrative**

<table><thead><tr><th width="177.55560302734375">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Role</strong></td><td>Functional role in the scenario</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Archetype</strong></td><td>Relationship to the player: <em>Boss, Sidekick, Antagonist, Subordinate, Colleague, Expert, Customer</em>, or <em>Neutral</em></td></tr></tbody></table>

**Affiliation**

<table><thead><tr><th width="180.22222900390625">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Affiliation</strong></td><td>Alignment category: <em>Friendly, Hostile, Enemy</em>, or <em>Unknown</em></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Faction</strong></td><td>A way of organising personas (can be selected from existing factions/created new)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>A3E</strong></td><td>Role classification: <em>Audience, Actor, Adversary,</em> or <em>Enemy</em></td></tr></tbody></table>

### Communication Style

These attributes determine how the output (i.e. published content) of your persona will be presented. Use targeted autofill here by editing the *Examples* field.

<figure><img src="/files/Hz7Lg8VR56gnbWXNljLw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Click `Preview` to hear a sample of the persona's voice (from 11labs). This will be used for any phone calls you use in your exercise.

<table><thead><tr><th width="180.22222900390625">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Examples</strong></td><td>Sample text illustrating the faction's typical voice (used by AI to generate communications in the appropriate style)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Text Alignment</strong></td><td>Layout direction for text content: <em>Left</em> or <em>Right</em></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Style</strong></td><td>General writing style (e.g. formal, casual, witty, technical)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tone</strong></td><td>Emotional flavour of messaging (e.g. neutral, upbeat, critical)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Language Register</strong></td><td>Formality level (e.g. slang vs professional, jargon vs plain language)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Delivery</strong></td><td>How messages are presented (e.g. concise, story-like, authoritative)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Channels</strong></td><td>Where the persona/faction communicates (select up to 4 channels)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Writes In</strong></td><td>Language</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Uses Emojis</strong></td><td>Whether the persona/faction uses emojis or not</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Avoids</strong></td><td>Words, topics, or styles the persona/faction deliberately avoids (max 30 characters per entry)</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Location

<figure><img src="/files/ctjX8WZEqHsA9SGvxAjl" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="180.22222900390625">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Location</strong></td><td>Geographic location of the persona (supports What3Words for precise location selection)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>GPS</strong></td><td>Coordinates (can be entered manually or selected via a map interface)</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Cognitive Profile

| Attribute | Description                                                                                                                               |
| --------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Empathy   | Empathy shapes the tone of voice for personas with the range -3 to +3 indicating confrontational style to conciliatory style respectively |
| Beliefs   | Belief tags connect the persona to beliefs in the belief library                                                                          |

| Attribute              | Description                                                                         |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Influence              | Influence determines how much engagement a persona gets on their social media posts |
| Content & Social Graph | Check the checkbox if you want to hide this persona from all social media           |

The cognitive attributes define how the faction thinks, decides, and behaves. These are based on the **COM-B behaviour model** (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation).

<figure><img src="/files/as76gscp7AOknFWnPoOi" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

All the following details in the `</> Expert` tab feed into the core *Beliefs, Goals*, and *Knowledge Base* you see in the `Core` tab.

#### :fire:Capability

<figure><img src="/files/XBW9GcHgKtkF2jreQktb" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="180.2222900390625">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Psychological</strong></td><td>Skills, knowledge, and mental abilities that help the persona/faction act (max 30 characters per entry)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Limitations</strong></td><td>Known constraints/weaknesses that hold the persona/faction back (max 30 characters per entry)</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### :fire:Opportunity

<figure><img src="/files/dfnhhG1u0ecKUZ79QqxD" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="180.22222900390625">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Social</strong></td><td>People and networks that enable or hinder action (max 30 characters per entry)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Environmental</strong></td><td>Contextual or physical factors that enable or block action (max 30 characters per entry)</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### :fire:Motivation

<figure><img src="/files/VqGYZ8oGK5PPLKUfhFmX" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="180.22222900390625">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Automatic</strong></td><td>Habits and impulses that drive behaviour without conscious thought (max 30 characters per entry)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Reflective</strong></td><td>Deliberate goals and reasoning that drive behaviour (max 60 characters per entry)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Goals</strong></td><td>What the persona/faction wants to achieve (max 60 characters per entry)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Fears</strong></td><td>Risks or outcomes the faction wants to avoid (max 30 characters per entry)</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### :fire:Mindset & Disposition

<figure><img src="/files/7GcCM3KZETjfCmtOSIGk" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="180.22222900390625">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Empathy Level</strong></td><td>How easily the persona understands and cares about others' perspectives</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Disposition Level</strong></td><td>Overall stance toward the training audience, from hostile (−5) to supportive (+5)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Traits</strong></td><td>Stable personality traits shaping behaviour</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Mental State</strong></td><td>Current mental outlook or cognitive state</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Mental State Trend</strong></td><td>Recent pattern in mindset (e.g. improving, declining, volatile)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Emotional State</strong></td><td>Current emotion influencing decisions: <em>Fear</em>, <em>Anger</em>, <em>Outrage</em>, <em>Dread</em>, <em>Grief</em>, <em>Sorrow</em>, <em>Betrayal</em>, <em>Humiliation</em>, <em>Shame</em>, <em>Envy</em>, <em>Jealousy</em>, <em>Joy</em>, <em>Hope</em>, <em>Optimism</em>, <em>Relief</em>, <em>Trust</em>, <em>Compassion</em>, <em>Empathy</em>, <em>Love</em>, <em>Pride</em>, <em>Resentment</em>, <em>Disappointment</em>, <em>Gratitude</em>, <em>Regret</em></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Morale</strong></td><td>Confidence and willingness to persist under pressure</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### :fire:Beliefs & Standards

<figure><img src="/files/WxJTlti0SYlzSwLjEBvh" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="180.2222900390625">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Beliefs</strong></td><td>Core statements the persona holds to be true (max 100 characters per entry)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Attitudes</strong></td><td>Leanings or feelings toward an issue, actor, or behaviour (max 60 characters per entry)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>External Standards</strong></td><td>Public values the persona claims to uphold, judged by media and the general public, the breaking of which triggers public disappointment or shame: <em>Fairness</em>, <em>Loyalty</em>, <em>Authority</em>, <em>Honesty</em>, <em>Harm Avoidance</em>, <em>Duty</em>, <em>Lawfulness</em>, <em>Reciprocity</em>, <em>Accountability</em>, <em>Transparency</em>, <em>Honour</em>, <em>Solidarity</em>, <em>Innovation</em>, <em>Profitability</em>, <em>Competitiveness</em>, <em>Vision</em>, <em>Sovereignty</em>, <em>Representation</em>, <em>Stability</em>, <em>Caregiving</em>, <em>Trust</em>, <em>Tradition</em>, <em>Discipline</em>, <em>Courage</em>, <em>Sacrifice</em></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Internal Standards</strong></td><td>Private values guiding decisions within close circles, judged by allies or staff. Upholding them earns loyalty or admiration, even if the public disapproves (same options as External Standards)</td></tr></tbody></table>

<figure><img src="/files/DXSrfw6kuAe0VKxwLfKo" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<details>

<summary><strong>External vs Internal Standards</strong></summary>

**External Standards**

* The **values a persona claims to uphold publicly**.
* These are the standards by which the **general public, media, and wider audiences** judge the persona.
* Violations here trigger **public-facing emotions** like *reproach, disappointment, or shame*.
* Example: A politician professes **fairness, transparency, accountability**. If caught lying, the public feels reproach because **external standards** were violated.

***

**Internal Standards**

* The **values that truly guide the persona’s decisions** within their close circle or loyal base.
* These are used by **allies, party members, staff, or inner circle** to appraise the persona.
* Upholding these standards can generate **admiration, pride, or gratitude**, even if external standards are being broken.
* Example: That same politician may privately value **loyalty, competitiveness, authority**. If they protect allies or win a power struggle, insiders admire them even if the public condemns them.

***

**Why This Split Matters**

* Many personas - especially leaders, executives, or public figures - operate under **dual appraisal systems**:
  * **External lens**: how the crowd/media react.
  * **Internal lens**: how allies/juniors/backers react.
* This allows the same event to produce **contrasting emotional outcomes** across audiences.
* Example:
  * **External** → “He broke the rules” → *reproach*.
  * **Internal** → “He protected the team” → *admiration*.

</details>

#### :fire:Behaviour

<figure><img src="/files/hS6wMrm70xNoyBiX4m8i" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="180.22222900390625">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Expected</strong></td><td>Behaviours anticipated from this persona given context (max 60 characters per entry)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Constraints</strong></td><td>Rules/limits restricting behaviour (max 60 characters per entry)</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### :fire:Memory

<figure><img src="/files/rpHUNgxsfRWnpjeyjvkO" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="180.22222900390625">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Events</strong></td><td>Notable life or scenario events that shape this persona's outlook (max 100 characters per entry)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Knowledge Base</strong></td><td>Specific knowledge known only to this persona</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Facts</strong></td><td>Discrete facts known by the persona (max 30 characters per entry)</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
To find more information about giving personas a unique voice, visit the page below:
{% endhint %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/WPSj3wIhdTYh2FZlY0Kj" %}
[Unique voice](/feature-documentation/designing-and-running/personas/working-with-personas/unique-voice.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### Influence

<figure><img src="/files/vLhJaYLJYrzM9M5KJ9vM" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="210.77777099609375">Attribute</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Influence Category</strong></td><td>Degree of online influence (see table below)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Comments (Low / High)</strong></td><td>Expected range of comments per post (auto-populated based on influence category but can be manually overridden)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Likes (Low / High)</strong></td><td>Expected range of likes per post (auto-populated but overridable)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Shares (Low / High)</strong></td><td>Expected range of shares per post (auto-populated but overridable)</td></tr></tbody></table>

**Influence Category Defaults**

| Category        | Followers   | Comments    | Likes           | Shares        |
| --------------- | ----------- | ----------- | --------------- | ------------- |
| **Influencer**  | 400k+       | 200 – 2,000 | 8,000 – 40,000  | 500 – 5,000   |
| **Commentator** | 100k – 400k | 100 – 800   | 2,000 – 15,000  | 200 – 2,000   |
| **Geek**        | 5k – 10k    | 5 – 50      | 150 – 800       | 10 – 80       |
| **Entertainer** | 400k+       | 300 – 3,000 | 10,000 – 50,000 | 1,000 – 6,000 |
| **Regular**     | Up to 1k    | 0 – 10      | 5 – 50          | 0 – 5         |

{% hint style="info" %}
To find more information about influence, visit the page below:
{% endhint %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/dtSB68POQOMTJ039M8DK" %}
[Influence](/feature-documentation/designing-and-running/personas/working-with-personas/influence.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}


---

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