The Situation-Disposition Nexus Revisited: Does Personality Moderate the Association Between Threat Perception and Violent Extremism?

Objective: Although research has demonstrated the influences of both threat perception (situation) and personality traits (disposition) for radicalization into violent extremism, few studies have examined how these drivers interact. The present research investigates this classical social and personality psychological situation-disposition nexus in the context of violent extremism. Methods: In three correlational studies sampled among the White American general population, we examined whether different threat perceptions (realistic, symbolic, replacement) were related to violent behavioural intentions, and whether these associations were moderated by clinically “normal” traits (HEXACO, Altruism), subclinical (Dark Triad, D-Factor), and anti-social (SDO, RWA) personality traits.Results: We find no direct associations between any forms of perceived threat and violent behavioural intentions. Additionally, the three studies provide mixed, and sometimes even contradictory findings, on the direct associations between personality traits and violent behavioural intentions, and the interactions between perceived threat and personality as a driver of violent extremism.Conclusion: This research provides inconclusive findings for the Situation (threat perception) – Disposition (personality) Nexus in the context of future research. For future research, a way forward may be to leverage analytical procedures better capable of handling high model complexity, e.g. mediated-moderated structural equation modelling or psychometric network analysis.