| dc.description.abstract | While quest for significance theory has established the relation between individual-level significance and violent extremism, the theorised collective level of the construct remains underexplored. The present thesis investigates the differential effect of significance loss on an individual or collective level on dependent variables of violent extremism. The present thesis is an independent research project using pre-existing data in its first study and conducting a novel experiment in its second. Using cross-sectional data from a sample of White US individuals, Study 1 found an association between collective significance threat perception and both radicalism and violent behavioural intentions. Conducting an online survey with an experimental design on a sample of Norwegian students, Study 2 aimed to replicate and expand these findings by manipulating loss of significance on an individual- or collective-level before the participants answered measures of violent extremism. Study 2 did not yield any significant effect of the manipulation on the conditions of individual-level loss, collective-level loss, or the control. Although the initial finding suggests evidence for the potential existence of collective significance as a distinct construct, the subsequent study is unable to provide conclusive results due to the lack of experimental effect. While the lack of experimental effect prevents a clear examination of the distinction between individual and collective significance, the thesis still provides evidence for a potentially distinct collective-level significance. The implications of the findings for significance quest theory are examined, as well as additional findings on group-level factors influencing violent extremism. A conclusive understanding of individual- versus collective-level significance has yet not been reached, however the present thesis furthers the field’s work both by providing evidence of collective significance and by highlighting the pitfalls of its research. The thesis concludes with recommendations and calls for future research on this area. | eng |