Biography
Kevin Bennett, Ph.D., is a teaching professor of Psychology and the program coordinator for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology at Penn State Beaver. He teaches a range of courses including Introductory Psychology, Social Psychology, Personality Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, Applied Social Psychology, and the Psychology of Serial Killers and Mass Murderers.
Students in Dr. Bennett’s classes can expect dynamic, interactive sessions that blend cutting-edge research with real-world applications. His students engage in hands-on research projects, explore psychological theory through case studies, and participate in discussions that connect classroom content to current events, media, and personal experiences.
Dr. Bennett’s courses prepare students for a wide variety of careers and advanced education pathways including:
- Clinical psychology
- Counseling
- Behavioral research and data analytics
- Corrections education
- Forensic psychology
- Psychiatry
- Human resources
- Marketing
- Public policy and social justice work
His students frequently go on to pursue graduate programs in psychology, neuroscience, law, social work, education, and medical school.
Research Interests
- Personality Psychology
- Evolutionary Science
- Urban Design and Mental Health
- Immersive Experiences
- Geographical Psychology
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Publications
Bennett, K. (2019). Psychological science on the eve of the Fourth Transformation: Will spatial computing make us better citizens? London: Conscious Cities Anthology 2019: Science-Informed Architecture and Urbanism. ISSN 2514-6815
Bennett, K. (2018). Teaching the Monty Hall dilemma to explore decision-making, probability, and regret in behavioral science classrooms. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 12 (2), 1-7.
Bennett, K., Gualtieri, T., & Kazmierczyk, B. (2018). Undoing solitary urban design: A review of risk factors and mental health outcomes associated with living in social isolation. Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health, 4:7.
Bennett, K. (2018). Environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EEA). In Zeigler-Hill, V., & Shackelford, T.K. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing AG.
Education
- Ph.D. in Psychology, City University of London, London, UK
- M.S. in Experimental Psychology, Minor: Quantitative Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- B.A. in Psychology, Psi Chi, University Honors, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Papers and Presentations
Bennett, K. (2019, August). Making decisions about locations inside built environments: Is conscientiousness a front-row trait? Paper presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago.
Bennett, K. (2019, March). Why is conscientiousness a front-row trait? Personality assessment, location preferences, and making a map of big five tendencies inside built environments. Paper presented at the Society for Personality Assessment Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA.
Bennett, K. (2018, November). Teaching with touchable psychology in a digital age: Effective application of props in the behavioral science classroom. Poster presented at the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP) International Twitter Poster Conference (ITPC) #stp18poster.
Bennett, K. (2017, March). Geographical decision making as a function of birth order and gender. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Boston, Massachusetts.