Introduction to Psychology with Dr. Kelvin Bentley
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Dr. Bentley will be facilitating courses in Introduction to Psychology. Dr. Bentley earned a PhD from the University of Delaware in 1999 and he has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology. He has also taught on-ground, blended, and fully online courses during his career. Dr. Bentley's interest in online education includes experience leading online learning initiatives in the roles of director and dean for 2- and 4-year colleges and universities. Dr. Bentley currently serves as a consultant helping institutions develop strategic plans for their respective online learning programs.
Dr. Bentley will use different methods to help you learn about the field of psychology. Dr. Bentley enjoys interacting with students using discussion boards and web conferencing tools such as Google Hangouts. He will be available to you to address your questions each week by providing concise clarification on topics that are the most challenging to you.
This course provides a general survey of psychology including the relationship between biology and behavior, such as how stress impacts personal health. Other topics introduced in the course include intelligence and reasoning, personality, gender and sex, memory, ethics, and research methods.
Buy the course for only $134 and get a copy of "Psychology: An Introduction" at no additional cost
By including eTextbooks in our courses, StraighterLine is helping students achieve their academic goals by providing best-in-class tools to make studying more convenient.
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I enjoyed this course and was able to move through it at a speed that suited me
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I enjoyed this course and was able to move through it at a speed that suited me
Content Rating Overall Rating


Dr. Kelvin Bentley is a native Michigander who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wayne State University and his masters and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Delaware. He has experience teaching online on-ground, blended, and online courses in psychology including Introduction to Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Tests and Measures.
Dr. Bentley also has a special interest in online education given he has served as a director and dean for different online degree programs at 2- and 4-year institutions over the past 10 years. Dr. Bentley has led initiatives to improve access to student services for online students including tutoring, academic advising, career counseling, and proctoring services He currently serves as a consultant for schools who seek to develop strategic plans for their online learning programs.
Dr. Bentley resides in Easton, Pennsylvania with his wife and 2½ year old daughter. Dr. Bentley enjoys traveling with his family in his free time as well as running, science fiction television shows and movies especially Doctor Who, and learning more about the present and future of online education.
Course Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Define psychology and describe the four goals of psychology.
- Identify the origins of the field of psychology and analyze how various methods, people and theories have impacted early psychology to evolve into contemporary psychology.
- Propose ways in which psychologists can apply their expertise in society.
- Analyze how race, culture, and ethnicity influence behavior.
- Describe the discipline and practice of sociocultural psychology.
- Define the concept hypothesis and theory, analyze the requirements for using the scientific method in psychology, and identify the importance of objectivity in psychological research.
- Analyze research methods in psychology and explain the descriptive research designs.
- Identify experiments using correlational and experimental research methods.
- Define the nervous system and analyze how the body works with the nervous system to generate behavior.
- Compare and contrast the central, peripheral nervous systems, somatic, and autonomic nervous systems.
- Distinguish between the Gestalt principles and identify the process of sensory perception.
- Summarize the effects of drug addiction and dependence and produce real life scenarios resulting from drug abuse.
- Explain cognitive-social approaches to learning. Compare and contrast the characteristics of observational and latent learning.
- Create an original diagram showing the regions of the brain that influence memory.
- Identify Carl Jung's influence on the study of psychosexual development.
- Compare and contrast methods and theories for measuring and assessing personality.
- Identify the relationship between prejudice and stereotypes and describe how these constructions affect our attributions about other people's behavior.
- Distinguish among the explanations for prejudice and identify some effective techniques for combating prejudice.
Topic | Lesson Topic | Subtopics | Objectives |
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1 | The History of Science In Psychology |
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2 | Scientific Method In Psychology |
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3 | Biology and Behavior |
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4 | Sensation and Perception |
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5 | States of Consciousness |
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6 | Cognitive Development |
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7 | Memory |
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8 | Intelligence and Reason |
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9 | Motivation and Emotion |
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10 | Developmental Psychology |
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11 | Gender and Sex |
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12 | Personality |
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13 | Stress and Health |
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14 | Psychological Disorder |
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15 | Social Psychology |
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There are no prerequisites to take Introduction to Psychology.
The required eTextbook for this course is included with your course purchase at no additional cost. More information on StraighterLine eTextbooks
Prefer the hard copy? Simply purchase from your favorite textbook retailer; you will still get the eTextbook for free.

A contemporary take on a time tested classic. Students will master the central concepts of psychology with the new 10th edition of Psychology from Benjamin Lahey. A new chapter on the Interplay of Nature and Nurture highlights the 10th edition's new organization and streamlined content . Lahey weaves scholarship based on empirical research throughout the text, ensuring an accurate portrait of contemporary psychology. The text's student-friendly writing, new chapter openers, and fresh applications make the material more relevant to students than ever before, and the proven learning system ensures that all students will grasp the concepts presented in the book. Lahey's hallmark emphasis on diversity and culture remains integrated throughout the text, making this the text for a well rounded introduction to all areas of psychology.
Lahey, Benjamin B. Psychology: An Introduction, 10th edition. McGraw-Hill, 2009. ISBN 9780073531984
StraighterLine provides a percentage score and letter grade for each course. A passing percentage is 70% or higher.
If you have chosen a
to award credit for this course, your final grade will be based upon that college's grading scale. Only passing scores will be considered by Partner Colleges for an award of credit.There are a total of 1000 points in the course:
Topic | Assessment | Points Available |
---|---|---|
4 | Graded Exam #1 | 175 |
8 | Graded Exam #2 |
175 |
12 | Graded Exam #3 | 175 |
15 | Graded Exam #4 | 175 |
Review | Final Graded Exam |
300 |
Total | 1000 |
Final Proctored Exam
The final exam is developed to assess the knowledge you learned taking this course. All students are required to take an online proctored final exam in order complete the course and be eligible for transfer credit.
Dr. Bentley will be facilitating courses in Introduction to Psychology. Dr. Bentley earned a PhD from the University of Delaware in 1999 and he has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology. He has also taught on-ground, blended, and fully online courses during his career. Dr. Bentley's interest in online education includes experience leading online learning initiatives in the roles of director and dean for 2- and 4-year colleges and universities. Dr. Bentley currently serves as a consultant helping institutions develop strategic plans for their respective online learning programs.
Dr. Bentley will use different methods to help you learn about the field of psychology. Dr. Bentley enjoys interacting with students using discussion boards and web conferencing tools such as Google Hangouts. He will be available to you to address your questions each week by providing concise clarification on topics that are the most challenging to you.
This course provides a general survey of psychology including the relationship between biology and behavior, such as how stress impacts personal health. Other topics introduced in the course include intelligence and reasoning, personality, gender and sex, memory, ethics, and research methods.