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

Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, online (2026).

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

Terrorism and Political Violence, 37(8). (2025).

Get in Touch

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