At the CBQ Institute, ethics and professional standards are central to how we design, deliver, and study our programs. We work with individuals who want to break free from addictions and change long-standing habits, and we recognize the profound responsibility that comes with this.
Our commitment is to advance behavioral change science without compromising the dignity, autonomy, or well-being of our members.
Scope of Our Work
The CBQ Institute focuses on cognitive, behavioral, and identity-based habit change. Our programs and research are:
- Psychological and educational in nature
- Non-invasive and low risk
- Not medical treatment, diagnosis, or clinical intervention
- Not a substitute for medical or mental health care
Our research is self-funded and internally conducted by the CBQ Institute. It is not clinical or medical research and is not funded by outside interests or grants. External academic partnerships are in development.
Our programs and research are designed and marketed for adults (18+). We advise against and do not knowingly enroll individuals under 18.
1. Scope of Our Work
The CBQ Institute focuses on cognitive, behavioral, and identity-based habit change. It is important to be clear about the nature of our work:
- Educational: Our programs are psychological and educational in nature.
- Non-Clinical: We do not provide medical treatment, diagnosis, or clinical intervention. Our work is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care.
- Independent: To maintain scientific independence and objectivity, our research is entirely self-funded by the CBQ Institute. We do not accept funding from tobacco companies, pharmaceutical industries, or external interest groups.
- Adult-Focused: Our programs and research are designed and marketed for adults (18+). We do not knowingly enroll or serve individuals under 18.
2. Our Ethical Principles
Our ethics and standards are built on the following core values:
- Scientific integrity. We analyze and report data honestly.
- Evidence-based methods. Our tools and programs are based on established psychology and behavioral science and are refined in light of ongoing research and outcome data.
- Respect & compassion. We treat members of our programs and broader community with dignity, empathy, and non-judgment, recognizing the personal nature of changing deeply ingrained habits.
- Autonomy & Voluntary Participation: Members choose whether to enroll in our programs and how they make use of our tools and resources. By choosing to participate, members acknowledge and agree that anonymized data is used to help us evaluate and improve our methods, as outlined in our Terms. We are committed to full transparency regarding this process.
- Fairness & non-discrimination. We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
- Data privacy & confidentiality. We protect personal information, minimize the use of identifiable data, and comply with applicable data protection laws.
These principles guide both our research activities and the design and delivery of our programs.
3. Code of Practice
Our code of practice sets out how we apply our ethical principles in our research, programs, and services.
A. Participant Protection, Risk & Suitability
- Our programs and research are designed to be low-risk, non-invasive, and educational.
- We do not ask members to engage in extreme behaviors or unsafe practices.
- We encourage members of our programs and broader community with serious medical or mental health conditions to seek appropriate professional care and make clear that our work does not replace medical or psychiatric treatment.
We review feedback and outcome data to improve our materials accordingly.
B. Privacy, Confidentiality & Data Management
- We primarily use self-report questionnaires, surveys, and structured reflections.
- Data used for research and evaluation is anonymized or aggregated wherever possible and reported only in summary or aggregated form.
- Personal data is stored in secure systems, processed in line with applicable data protection laws, and accessed only by authorized CBQ Institute personnel on a need-to-know basis.
- We may use vetted third-party service providers (for example, secure survey or data platforms) under data-processing agreements consistent with applicable law.
- We restrict routine access to historical data and periodically review our data holdings to ensure they remain appropriate.
- We do not sell personal data and apply high security measures to protect our members’ data.
- When we publish identifiable testimonials (for example, including a person’s name, photograph, or recognizable details), we do so only where permission has been granted by the individual or where the testimonial has been published by them on a public platform (such as an independent review site) in line with that platform’s terms of use.
- We maintain internal records of consent for testimonials that include identifiable details, so that their use can be reviewed, updated, or withdrawn if needed.
- Case examples used in educational materials, research summaries, or internal training may be identifiable where permission has been granted. In other cases, case studies are anonymized and identifying details may be altered or combined from more than one case to protect individual privacy.
C. Professional Competence
CBQ Institute staff and collaborators are expected to:
- Work within the boundaries of their training and expertise.
- Seek supervision, training, or referral where issues fall outside those boundaries.
- Engage in ongoing learning relevant to habit change, behavioral science, and ethical practice.
This reflects widely accepted principles in professional psychological ethics that emphasize competence, responsibility, and integrity.
D. Scientific Integrity & Use of Evidence
- We use only genuine testimonials.
- We strive to design our assessments, follow-ups, and analyses in line with good practice in psychological and behavioral research.
- We distinguish between research findings, program outcomes, and marketing statements.
- Where we prepare internal or external summaries of outcomes or research, we indicate relevant limitations where appropriate (for example, reliance on self-report measures).
The CBQ Institute designs and evaluates methods that are delivered through its own programs. We are transparent about this dual role and aim to ensure that analyses, reporting, and claims remain evidence-led.
E. Fair, Respectful & Inclusive Practice
- The CBQ Institute does not permit harassment, abuse, or discriminatory behavior in its programs or community spaces.
- We are committed to inclusive, respectful communication and program design.
- We review feedback to identify and, where possible, address barriers to access and inclusion.
F. Continuous Review & Improvement
- We regularly review our research practices, assessments, and data-handling procedures.
- Participant feedback is used to refine our tools, content, and safeguards.
- As external academic partnerships develop, we seek alignment with current best practices in psychological and behavioral research and ethics.
Ethics and standards are treated as an ongoing responsibility rather than a one-time declaration.
4. Alignment with Professional Psychological Ethics
The CBQ Institute’s ethical framework is informed by recognized professional guidelines in psychology, including:
- The British Psychological Society (BPS) Code of Ethics and Conduct and the BPS Code of Human Research Ethics, which emphasize respect, competence, responsibility, and integrity in work with human participants.
- The American Psychological Association (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, particularly the general principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice, and respect for people’s rights and dignity.
- The European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) Meta-Code of Ethics, which provides overarching ethical guidance for psychologists across Europe.
While the CBQ Institute operates in a non-clinical, educational context, we seek to align our practices with the spirit of these frameworks where applicable.
5. How to Share Concerns or Feedback
Participants and partners are encouraged to share:
- Concerns about privacy, data use, or research practices.
- Feedback on program content, accessibility, or suitability.
- Suggestions for improving our tools, assessments, or safeguards.
Concerns and feedback can be raised directly with the CBQ Institute at [email protected], and we are committed to addressing them promptly, fairly, and transparently.