[Antisocial personality disorder evaluation with the prisoner's dilemma].

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to evaluate cooperation problems in antisocial disorder with the prisoner's dilemma game, which, in mathematical game theory, is the paradigm of the <<non-zero>> games (mutual benefit from cooperation). METHODS: We have designed a computer version of the prisoner's dilemma (CDT-BD) that confronts the patient to a simulation of a reciprocal exchange situation. IPDE provided us a categorical and dimensional evaluation of 26 controls from the community and 40 methadone patients. Only methadone patients obtained an antisocial diagnosis: 20 in the category of positive antisocial and 10 in the probable antisocial category. Patients also fullfilled TCI and MACH-IV. RESULTS: CDT-BD is, according to the parent's opinion (mothers), a good correlation of real life behavior. CDT-BD shows a statistically significant poorer cooperation of antisocial patients this is catego rical evaluation (ve rsus in controls) and in dimensional evaluation true both for variables that measure non-cooperation due to the patient's initiative and those as a response to the computer provocation. This may be due to a tendency of antisocials to use interchange situations <<zero game>> strategies (you win what the other player loses) instead of non-zero games strategies. Non-cooperative responses are correlated to high scores on the MACH-IV scale (manipulative behavior and cognition) and revengeful in Treatment and Character Inventory (TCI). CONCLUSIONS: CDT-BD allows us to generate and test new hypotheses on the causes of the cooperation problems in antisocial patients using game theory paradigms.