
Kaitlyn DaVisio
Ph.D. Student (ABD)
I am a current doctoral student in the School of Public Affairs, American University in Washington, D.C. As an interdisciplinary scholar, my research spans two primary areas: terrorism and political violence, and research methodology. I also teach undergraduate-level courses on terrorism, research design, and methodology at the George Washington University; and am a research associate at the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Laboratory (PERIL).
My work examines how narratives, social identities, and subcultures shape political violence and extremism. In parallel, I develop and apply cutting-edge quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches, leveraging artificial intelligence, computational analysis, and innovative measurement strategies.
My research has been published in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, and Terrorism and Political Violence. For more information, please see my CV, LinkedIn, or Google Scholar.
Selected Publications
Playing with Fire: The Symbolic Role of Fire in Political Violence
William Arnold, Kaitlyn DaVisio, and Cynthia Miller-Idriss
Fiction and misinformation: evaluating anti-establishment sentiment and trust in news outlets through fictional storytelling
Kaitlyn DaVisio, David Malet, Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Pasha Dashtgard, and Chelsea Daymon
Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, online (2026).
‘Today I die like Jesus Christ’: an analysis of Ressentiment in perceptions, motivations, and justifications in violent extremist manifestos
Tereza Capelos, Kaitlyn DaVisio, and Mikko Salmela
Get in Touch
Email: kd0211a@american.edu
Professor Profile: The George Washington University
I welcome inquiries about research collaborations or speaking engagements. For matters related to my research, please contact me at kd0211a@american.edu. For matters related to extremism prevention resources and training, please visit perilresearch.com.
Student Profile: American University
