COOPERATION, EMOTIONAL FACTORS, AND SOCIAL DECISION-MAKING: A CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF PRISONER’S DILEMMA AND BEHAVIORAL REGULATION

Abstract

Abstract: Modern psychological research increasingly focuses on the mechanisms that shape cooperative behavior, emotional regulation, and social interaction in complex environments. The present article integrates several contemporary empirical studies devoted to kleptomania, prisoners’ emotional disorders, hormonal influences on cooperation, and decision-making in Prisoner’s Dilemma paradigms. The aim of this paper is to analyze how emotional experiences, social cognition, internal psychological regulation, and interpersonal trust influence cooperative or destructive behavioral patterns. The article employs a comparative analytical method based on recent Scopus-indexed studies and synthesizes their findings within a unified psychological framework. Results demonstrate that emotional disorders, shame, fear of compassion, self-criticism, and early negative life experiences significantly influence antisocial behavior and cooperation strategies. Furthermore, hormonal and situational variables affect reciprocity and social decision-making processes. The findings highlight the importance of psychological interventions focused on emotional regulation, compassion development, and social adaptation in reducing destructive behaviors and strengthening prosocial cooperation.