A unified nonlinear and time-adaptive perceptual-emotional-economic dynamics model (UPEDM)

We propose the Unified nonlinear and time-adaptive perceptual-emotional-economic dynamics model (UPEDM) as a cross-disciplinary framework that integrates key insights from psychology, neuroscience, and economics into a single dynamic equation. UPEDM generalizes the Weber–Fechner law by introducing nonlinear stimulus scaling with time-dependent adaptation, captures the decay patterns described in the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, explains emotional recovery in the hedonic treadmill model, reproduces the curvature of diminishing marginal utility in economic valuation, and naturally incorporates temporal discounting through exponential decay. By modeling the perceptual/emotional response as a function of the logarithmic ratio of stimulus to reference point, modulated by asymmetric gain/loss sensitivity and temporal dynamics, UPEDM offers a parsimonious yet powerful account of diverse human behaviors. This unified formulation has the potential to serve as a foundational theory for interdisciplinary integration, linking sensation, memory, emotion, and decision-making under a single mathematical structure.