Time perspective as a conditioning factor in criminal coping: A test of general strain theory

General strain theory posits the existence of conditioning factors that influence individuals' subjective strain (i.e., subjective perceptions of objective strain), negative emotions, and criminal coping when they encounter undesirable events or conditions (i.e., objective strain). However, the conditioning factors that influence these elements remain unclear. Nonetheless, research has recognized the time perspective as an essential factor influencing cognition, emotion, and behavior. We used a questionnaire survey with 252 participants (126 men and women each) to test a model incorporating the time perspective as a conditioning factor within the framework of the general strain theory. We found that time perspective directly influenced criminal coping and indirectly influenced it through subjective strain and negative emotions. Positively reconstructing interpretations of past experiences, reducing feelings of powerlessness in the present, and fostering motivation for the future is crucial for lowering criminal coping.