Saucier, GerardSiritzky, Meghan2024-12-192024-12-192024-12-19https://hdl.handle.net/1794/30273In any field of research, standardization of theoretical constructs and measurement tools allows researchers to build on each other’s work and share the same language. In the task of measuring political worldviews, there is no such tool to standardize theory or measurement. There are, however, a plethora of theory-driven constructs that have only been empirically validated independently of each other. Because these constructs have discrete theoretical foundations but share similar behavioral outcomes, it remains to be seen whether they capture the same underlying worldview. This dissertation seeks to understand the relation between these theoretically discrete constructs by examining them not only in terms of concurrent association/correlation but in terms of their predictiveness regarding an outcome/criterion they might all predict – support for violence as an acceptable means to achieve political aims (hereafter referred to as SPV, Support for Political Violence). Using a high-dimensionality approach to maximize comprehensiveness, I gathered a large item pool sourced from existing measures of worldviews associated with SPV and found a set of 14 high-dimensionality factors that captured granular components of an overall structural model. Study 1 developed the initial structural model, while Study 2 determined the relative strength of each factor in predicting SPV in a US sample. Four notable findings emerged from Study 2: (1) dehumanization, xenoparanoia, and ingroup purity predict both state violence and partisan physical violence; (2) military imperialism, pro-torture, and conservative political orientation positively predict state violence while negatively predicting anti-state violence; (3) left-wing authoritarianism positively predicts anti-state violence while negatively predicting identity-based indirect violence; and (4) two predictors had a narrower range of effects on support for political violence: pluralistic spirituality in negatively predicting identity-based indirect violence and political alienation in positively predicting anti-state violence. By understanding which worldview dimensions are most strongly associated with SPV, one can enhance existing early-warning violence prediction and prevention tools and better assess the efficacy of interventions.en-USAll Rights Reserved.authoritarianismdehumanizationpolitical violenceprejudiceworldviewsxenophobiaElectronic Thesis or Dissertation