Research Institute · Tallinn, Estonia · Est. 2026
Advancing the science of artificial-intelligence-guided behavioural change. Independent. Evidence-based. Open.
Mission
jAvIer Institute is an independent non-profit research institution established in Tallinn, Estonia. We sit at the intersection of cognitive science, educational technology, and artificial intelligence — studying how AI can be designed to guide meaningful, measurable transformation in human behaviour.
Our work is grounded in validated frameworks, applied in real communities, and held to rigorous academic standards. We publish openly, collaborate with universities, and build the evidence base for AI-native health and education interventions.
Research Areas
How do we design AI that genuinely changes human behaviour — not just monitors it?
Design, implementation, and evaluation of conversational AI agents as behaviour-change interventors in preventive health contexts. Grounded in our original AI Extender framework — the founding empirical contribution of the Institute.
Family-school dynamics in the adoption of health-promoting behaviours. The role of AI as a facilitator of change — extending human relationships, not replacing them. Applied research in Colombian and Estonian educational communities.
Engineering frameworks for prompt design in behavioural health contexts. Ethical evaluation protocols. Models for AI deployment in public health at scale — from pilot to population.
Theoretical Foundations
Every intervention framework deployed at jAvIer Institute is grounded in peer-reviewed behavioural science. We extend these with our own empirical contributions.
| Framework | Full Name | Application |
|---|---|---|
| TTM | Transtheoretical Model | Stages of behavioural change — mapping readiness to act |
| COM-B | Capability–Opportunity–Motivation–Behavior | Structural motor of human behaviour — diagnosing barriers |
| SDL | Self-Determined Learning (Heutagogy) | Autonomous learning — agency in behavioural adoption |
| TL | Transformative Learning (Mezirow) | Critical reflection as the mechanism of deep behaviour change |
| ALT | Adult Learning Theory (Knowles) | Andragogy — pedagogical base for family-centred interventions |
| AI Extender ✦ ORIGINAL | AI Extender Framework | Original contribution — jAvIer Institute, 2026. AI as a motivational extension of human behaviour-change relationships. |
Institutional Structure
jAvIer Institute is co-founded by Leonardo De la Hoz Borrego and LedeLab Group OÜ as the two founding members of the MTÜ. The relationship follows the Fraunhofer model: the Institute produces knowledge; LedeLab implements it commercially. Neither entity is subordinate to the other.
Collaborate
Research together.
Build evidence.