ARCH Equation: A General Model of Behavior Across Species

This paper proposes a general law of behavioral dynamics—Behavior = Archetype × Drive × Culture (ARCH)—and evaluates its validity across a phylogenetic continuum, from unicellular organisms to humans. Drawing on comparative ethology, neurobiology, and behavioral ecology, the ARCH model conceptualizes behavior as the interaction of evolutionarily conserved scripts (Archetypes), internal physiological modulators (Drives), and socially transmitted learning (Culture). Organisms exhibit varying degrees of these components, with basal taxa expressing Archetype-only systems and complex vertebrates integrating all three. The model is extended by incorporating a measure of integrated information (Φ), yielding the compound equation: Behavioral Phenomenology = ARCH × Φ, which distinguishes structured behavior from conscious integration. This framework provides a scalable, biologically grounded model of behavior and consciousness, with applications in comparative cognition, neuroscience, AI, and psychiatry.