Our Commitment to Public Sociology

The Bonding Project is a public-facing instrument designed to help participants understand their bonding preferences and spark broader conversation about relationship diversity. It is meant for general audiences, not just academics. Too often, research stays confined to the ivory tower of academia, excluding a significant portion of society from the conversation. We hope this project contributes to critical thinking and a more informed public discussion about relationship diversity. 

Our Decision To Not Seek IRB Approval

The project is not required to have an IRB. Our founders have no academic affiliation, which means we would need an independent IRB, which is (justifiably) both time-consuming and expensive. 

The project has been funded by our founding team since 2020. To continue our work, we need the project to become self-sustaining in the near future through donations and revenue. 

We decided to optimize our resources for affordability and speed to market at this time, and may pursue IRB approval in the future. 

Our Participant Protections Are Inspired by IRB Standards

Though we lack formal approval, we have internalized the mandate to protect participants and follow IRB norms in practice:

  • All data are pooled in a large de-identified set; we never use names or information that could identify participants when sharing data

  • Participation is voluntary with no coercion, persuasion, or monetary incentives

  • We inform bonders that we use de-identified data for research and that they can opt out of further contact

  • Our introductory information explains that we ask questions about relationship styles and preferences

  • Testers can opt out at any point by leaving the website; we do not contact them to urge completion

Our Peer Review Process

The instrument and process have undergone peer review through a summit with academics and interested parties, as well as ongoing collaboration with the Center for Positive Sexuality, a non-profit research and education organization that serves as our fiscal sponsor. These reviews raised no ethics concerns.

"We" and “Our” refers primarily to Jess Wise (co-founder and Director of Product) and Elisabeth Sheff (co-founder and Director of Research). For more on Sheff's academic background, see elisabethsheff.com.