Biography
Kevin Bennett, Ph.D., is a teaching professor of psychology and the program coordinator for the psychology program. He is a fellow at the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health and an affiliate at Penn State's Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence.
Students in Dr. Bennett’s classes can expect dynamic, interactive sessions that blend cutting-edge research with real-world applications. He makes connections to current events such as breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, emerging perspectives in personality change, and to popular culture including the wellness potential of group drumming and our fascination with true crime.
He teaches a range of courses including applied social psychology, advanced personality theories, evolutionary psychology, introductory psych, and the psychology of serial killers and mass murderers. His students engage in hands-on research projects, explore psychological theory through case studies, and participate in discussions that connect classroom content to 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.
Courses
Dr. Bennett regularly offers these courses, rotating through spring, summer, and fall semesters:
- Introduction to Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Personality Science
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Applied Social Psychology
- Advanced Personality Theories
- Serial Killer & Mass Murder Psychology
- Professional Development in Psychology
Research Interests
- Personality change
- Rhythm-fueled percussion and community engagement
- A.I. applications in society
- Psychopathy and Serial Homicide
Publications
Recent Work:
Walia, S., Ramachandruni, A., & Bennett, K. (2025). Connecting neural responses in socialcompetition and secrecy burden: EEG, fNIRS, and personality insights. Psychreg Journal of Psychology.
Bennett, K. (2024). Mate poaching: Strategic pluralism theory. In: Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior. Springer, Cham.
Bennett, K. (2024). Snowdrift Game. In Shackelford, T.K. (eds), Encyclopedia of SexualPsychology and Behavior. Springer, Cham
Bennett, K. (2024, August). Linguistic analysis of peak experience writing: Predicting academic outcomes from emotional content. Poster presented at the Lilly Conference: Evidence Based Teaching & Learning, Asheville, NC.
Bennett, K. (2024, March). Peak experiences predict academic outcomes: A linguistic analysis of emotional writing. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Bennett, K. (2022, March). Conscientiousness and openness are front row traits: Personality predicts spatial preferences. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York, New York.
Citation data for his research can be found at Google Scholar.
Education
- Ph.D. in psychology, City St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- M.S. in experimental psychology with a minor in quantitative psychology, University of New Mexico, New Mexico
- B.A. in psychology, Psi Chi, University Honors, University of Michigan, 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.