Profile Interpretation
The AgileBrain Profile provides a graphical representation of the emotional profile at this time for this prompt. The diagram below provides an easy, step-by-step guide to the AgileBrain framework and how to interpret the results.
Sample Profile
Images selected and speed of selection measure the intensity of need felt in each area.
Self
Material
Social
Spiritual
Aspirational
Potential
Success
Recognition
Purpose
Experiential
Authenticity
Immersion
Caring
Ethics
Foundational
Safety
Autonomy
Inclusion
Justice
Intensity of the Needs
Each cell is color-coded to reflect the intensity of emotional response: darker shade indicates stronger emotional response in that area; lighter shade indicates less unmet need in that area. A dark shade can be said to indicate an “activated” emotional need. A pale shade can be said to indicate a “settled” emotional need.
The Activation Pie Chart
A pie chart is generated, displaying the amount of promotion (want more of the good) and prevention (want less of the bad) response in an emotional need area. This pie chart will only show up on the cells that are highly activated so one can tell which direction the need is in – do they want more of the good or less of the bad.
Hope (Want More) vs. Fear (Want Less)
Every emotional need is a two-sided coin: It can represent strivings for more positive feelings (e.g., wanting to feel successful) or a desire for relief from negative feelings (e.g., wanting not to feel like a failure). For the strongest emotional responses only, a color-coded pie chart is also shown. It illustrates the relative contributions of positive (blue) and negative (orange) emotional needs: larger blue slices indicate that positive needs contributed more than negative ones; larger orange slices indicate more negative needs than positives. Equal-sized blue and orange slices indicate the positive and negative needs contributed equally.
Feedback
Each profile report generated will have a feedback portion. Feedback is generated based on the response pattern to help interpret results (“Putting Words to Your Emotions”) and to begin putting findings to work (“Putting Your Emotions to Work”).
The profile the system provides 2 sets of tailored feedback to facilitate understanding, reflection and ultimately positive action. The feedback has been compiled by the AgileBrain team based on long experience in assessments and extensive testing. The AgileBrain feedback has been well-received by participants and coaches as accurate (it resonates) and useful (it informs and guides).
Note: Emotional areas that do not show activation are generally considered “quiet” or “settled” at the time of assessment and, therefore, do not receive feedback here.
Putting Words to Your Emotions
The first set of feedback is intended to help participants understand and articulate their emotional needs. This feedback appears on the report’s second page and provides a paragraph for each of the strongest emotional needs. It is helpful to read these paragraphs carefully and reflectively. Do the words resonate? Are they consistent with your client’s sense of the situation?
It is important to remember, however, that “settled” emotional needs are important and worthy of discussion. All twelve needs are universal and exist in every adult, although the saliency of each need varies among people and within the same person over time. They may represent areas of strength and validation to be explored. They may also represent stable bases to build on in a developmental / coaching context.
Note: You may want to refer to the Exploring Emotional Needs in Depth for more insight on the emotions, including definitions, mantras and common words to help facilitate understanding.
Putting Your Emotions to Work
The second set of feedback is intended to help participants reflect on the findings and find a pathway forward. This feedback generally appears on the report’s third page (although it may appear later if there are many strong emotional responses) and provides a paragraph providing context and suggested steps to process the strongest emotional needs.
It is helpful to read these paragraphs a few times and jot down notes.
- Do patterns of behavior or feelings emerge?
- Are their identifiable roadblocks (people, situations, emotions) that require deeper reflection and possibly intervention?
- What one thing would make a difference today?
Come back to the results several times over a week or so to push thinking and explore possible solutions to address emotional roadblocks and leverage emotional strengths.
