SEI Ethical Standards and Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When using the SEI in a cross-cultural context, ethical practice requires that practitioners:
- Apply US norms to all populations since the SEI was validated in America
- Consider cultural context when interpreting scores and avoid culturally biased conclusions (Correct answer)
- Translate the report verbatim without adapting examples
- Only administer the SEI in cultures where emotional expression is valued
Correct answer: Consider cultural context when interpreting scores and avoid culturally biased conclusions
Cultural humility and contextual interpretation are essential because emotional expression and norms vary across cultures.
Question 2: If a client requests copies of their raw SEI item responses, the practitioner should:
- Deny access because raw data is proprietary to Six Seconds
- Provide access to the participant's own data while explaining how to interpret it responsibly (Correct answer)
- Share only if a legal subpoena is presented
- Redirect the client to the Six Seconds headquarters directly
Correct answer: Provide access to the participant's own data while explaining how to interpret it responsibly
Participants generally have a right to their own assessment data, and practitioners should facilitate informed access.
Question 3: A practitioner is developing an internal company training program and wants to build content around employees' SEI results without their knowledge. This violates which principle?
- Reliability
- Informed consent and transparency (Correct answer)
- Inter-rater reliability
- Standardization
Correct answer: Informed consent and transparency
Using personal assessment data without participants' knowledge or consent is a direct violation of informed consent principles.
Question 4: The Six Seconds model emphasizes 'growth orientation' in ethical debriefs. This means practitioners should frame SEI results as:
- A fixed personality diagnosis that defines the client permanently
- A developmental snapshot that reveals opportunities for intentional growth (Correct answer)
- A performance rating to benchmark against top performers
- A clinical measure requiring therapeutic intervention
Correct answer: A developmental snapshot that reveals opportunities for intentional growth
The SEI is a developmental tool; ethical debriefs emphasize growth potential rather than labeling or limiting the person.
Question 5: Which scenario represents an appropriate dual use of the SEI with full ethical compliance?
- A coach uses the SEI for self-development coaching and also uses results to assess fitness for leadership promotion
- A coach uses the SEI for development coaching only, clearly communicating this scope to the client (Correct answer)
- A coach uses the SEI results to design team conflict mediation without telling participants
- A coach shares one client's SEI results with another client to illustrate a coaching point
Correct answer: A coach uses the SEI for development coaching only, clearly communicating this scope to the client
Restricting use to the agreed purpose and communicating scope clearly preserves both trust and ethical integrity.
Question 6: When a practitioner's personal values conflict with a client's lifestyle reflected in their SEI responses, the ethical response is to:
- Subtly guide the coaching toward values the practitioner considers healthier
- Disclose the conflict and, if necessary, refer to another practitioner (Correct answer)
- Ignore the conflict and deliver the debrief as planned
- Withhold certain SEI subscale scores that relate to the conflict
Correct answer: Disclose the conflict and, if necessary, refer to another practitioner
Practitioners must manage personal bias through transparency and referral to avoid imposing their values on clients.
Question 7: According to SEI ethical guidelines, how long should assessment records typically be retained?
- Indefinitely, so long-term EQ trends can be tracked
- According to applicable professional, legal, and organizational standards in the practitioner's jurisdiction (Correct answer)
- A maximum of 30 days to minimize privacy risk
- Until the client requests deletion, regardless of legal requirements
Correct answer: According to applicable professional, legal, and organizational standards in the practitioner's jurisdiction
Record retention must comply with applicable professional, legal, and organizational requirements, which vary by jurisdiction and context.
SEI Ethical Standards and Practice 3
When using the SEI in a cross-cultural context, ethical practice requires that practitioners: