Final answer:
Proctor is inclined to confess based on feelings of guilt and self-preservation, paralleling the idea of a 'dominant strategy' in game theory regarding self-interest, which is evident in scenarios like the prisoners' dilemma.
Step-by-step explanation:
Proctor in The Crucible feels compelled to confess, likely due to a complex mix of guilt, self-preservation, and the burden of his own conscience, which mirrors the game theory concept of the dominant strategy. In this context, Proctor's choice to confess can be seen as a strategy to avoid worse consequences, akin to the scenario where prisoners, acting in their own self-interest, choose to confess despite the implications because it minimizes their individual punishment, reflecting a similar tendency in humans to choose self-preservation.
Literature often explores the moral and psychological impulses that drive our decisions, just as Proctor's internal conflict and subsequent decision to confess reveal about human nature under extreme duress.