SEI Ethical Standards and Practice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a practitioner discovers mid-assessment that a client has a prior relationship with the feedback recipient, the most ethically sound response is to:
- Proceed without disclosure since the assessment is already underway
- Pause, disclose the conflict, and allow the client to decide whether to continue (Correct answer)
- Complete the assessment but withhold results until the conflict is resolved
- Transfer the case immediately without explanation
Correct answer: Pause, disclose the conflict, and allow the client to decide whether to continue
Transparency about conflicts of interest is a core ethical obligation; the client must be informed and empowered to make an informed choice.
Question 2: The SEI ethical standard requiring 'do no harm' most directly applies when:
- Selecting which emotional intelligence model to teach
- Delivering feedback that may surface painful self-awareness (Correct answer)
- Choosing between group and individual assessment formats
- Deciding on assessment pricing structures
Correct answer: Delivering feedback that may surface painful self-awareness
Delivering emotionally sensitive feedback carries the greatest potential for harm and demands the practitioner's careful, supportive approach.
Question 3: A certified SEI practitioner is asked to compare two employees' SEI scores to justify a promotion decision. This use is problematic primarily because:
- The SEI is not normed for competitive comparison between individuals (Correct answer)
- Promotion decisions should always use cognitive ability tests instead
- The practitioner lacks HR credentials to make workforce decisions
- Emotional intelligence is irrelevant to job performance
Correct answer: The SEI is not normed for competitive comparison between individuals
The SEI is designed for self-awareness and development, not normative ranking or high-stakes personnel selection.
Question 4: Which of the following best demonstrates the Six Seconds ethical principle of 'confidentiality' in organizational contexts?
- Sharing aggregate team data with the HR department without individual identifiers (Correct answer)
- Providing individual scores to managers to support coaching conversations
- Publishing anonymized results in a company-wide report with department breakdowns small enough to identify individuals
- Storing assessments on a shared network drive accessible to all staff
Correct answer: Sharing aggregate team data with the HR department without individual identifiers
Aggregate data without individual identifiers protects confidentiality while still allowing organizational insights.
Question 5: In the SEI framework, 'informed consent' before assessment must include which element?
- A guarantee that results will improve the participant's career prospects
- A clear explanation of how data will be stored, used, and shared (Correct answer)
- Commitment that the practitioner will share results only if they are positive
- Assurance that the assessment will take less than 30 minutes
Correct answer: A clear explanation of how data will be stored, used, and shared
Informed consent requires transparency about data handling so participants can make a truly informed decision.
Question 6: A practitioner notices a client's SEI results suggest significant emotional distress beyond typical self-development concerns. Ethical practice calls for:
- Completing the standard debrief and ending the session normally
- Referring the client to an appropriate mental health professional (Correct answer)
- Reinterpreting the scores to avoid alarming the client
- Postponing all feedback indefinitely until the client seems more stable
Correct answer: Referring the client to an appropriate mental health professional
When results indicate potential clinical-level distress, practitioners have an ethical duty to refer rather than treat beyond their scope.
Question 7: Which action violates the SEI ethical guideline on 'competence'?
- Using SEI results alongside other developmental tools in coaching
- Administering the SEI after completing the required certification training
- Delivering SEI feedback in a domain (clinical therapy) outside one's training (Correct answer)
- Updating one's understanding of EQ research through continuing education
Correct answer: Delivering SEI feedback in a domain (clinical therapy) outside one's training
Using the SEI in contexts outside one's professional competence—such as clinical therapy without licensure—breaches the competence standard.
SEI Ethical Standards and Practice 2
When a practitioner discovers mid-assessment that a client has a prior relationship with the feedback recipient, the most ethically sound response is to: