What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to establish Behavioural Friction Theory as a formal framework that integrates various behavioral theories through a common lens of friction.

May 5, 2026Open Access

Behavioural Friction Theory: Toward a Common Currency for Behavioural Science

Key Points

The aim is to establish Behavioural Friction Theory as a formal framework that integrates various behavioral theories through a common lens of friction.
Introduced Behavioural Friction Theory framework incorporating four fields of friction and five layers of analysis.
Delineated 21 formal propositions backed by empirical evidence and minimal testing designs.
Presented BFT as a conceptual architecture for existing theories in behavioral science to be compared and adapted.
BFT provides a cohesive structure for understanding behavioral regulation through varied dimensions of friction.
The framework encourages empirical scrutiny, offering a basis for future research interventions in behavioral science.
Facilitates connections between existing theories, enhancing their applicability and collaborative development.

Abstract

This paper introduces Behavioural Friction Theory (BFT), a formal integrative framework for behavioural science. BFT proposes that all behaviour is regulated by friction across four fields (Safety, Meaning, Ability, Effort) and five layers (Biological, Emotional, Inner, Cognitive, External), resolved through a race-to-threshold competition (the RACE model). Twenty-one formal propositions are derived, each with specification of existing empirical support and minimal test designs. BFT is presented as a theoretical framework inviting empirical scrutiny — not a replacement for existing theories, but the architecture within which they can be compared, connected, and extended. Companion papers in the Friction Theory series, currently available on Zenodo: Pødenphant Lund (2026b) "Friction as the Cost of Probabilistic Computation" (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20012655); Pødenphant Lund (2026c) "Capacity Scaling of Encoding-Through-Loading" (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20013491); Pødenphant Lund (2026d) "Friction-Guided Inference" (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20014122); Pødenphant Lund (2026k) "Race all the way down, race all the way up" (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20014568).

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Tomas Pødenphant Lund

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Behavioural Friction Theory: Toward a Common Currency for Behavioural Science

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