EMOTIONAL CONTROL AND DECISION-MAKING IN THE PERFORMANCE OF POLICIAL MILITAR OFFICERS IN STRESSFUL SITUATIONS

Abstract

Military police activity is marked by constant exposure to situations of operational stress, in which decisions must be made quickly, with technical responsibility and legal support. In this context, emotional control becomes essential for officers to act with balance, clarity, and safety. This article studies how emotional control influences military police decision-making in high-pressure contexts, using a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach, based on bibliographic and documentary research. The results indicate that proper emotional management contributes to more proportional, lawful, and efficient decisions, strengthening leadership, professional performance, and the preservation of life. Furthermore, scientific literature demonstrates that factors such as psychological training, emotional intelligence, institutional support, and operational experience directly interfere with the officer’s capacity for self-regulation. It is observed that emotionally prepared professionals show a lower probability of committing excesses, greater communication skills, and better conflict management. Therefore, the continuous development of socio-emotional competencies should be incorporated into training processes and institutional routines, contributing to more humanized, technically qualified police performance aligned with democratic and human rights principles in contemporary societies and with current complex global social demands.