The Role of Negative Emotion in General Strain Theory

General strain theory (GST) argues that strain (i.e., stress) leads to negative emotion and that negative emotion leads to criminal behavior. Though GST has received a significant amount of empirical support, tests of GST have focused primarily on the relationship between stress, anger, and interpersonal aggression. Much of past GST research has therefore neglected the idea that different types of strain might produce different negative emotions aside from anger and that different negative emotions might produce different types of criminal involvement aside from interpersonal aggression. This article investigates these possibilities. Literature from the social psychology of emotion is used to develop hypotheses that are tested through a vignette study. Results indicate that certain situations produce certain emotions more so than others but that negative emotions often co-occur. Some negative emotions precipitate criminal involvement, whereas others inhibit criminal tendencies.