Patric R. Spence
University of Central Florida, University of Kentucky, Schlumberger (Ireland)
Papers
18
Total Citations
1,149
H-Index
11
About
Patric R. Spence is a leading scholar in human-machine communication (HMC), with particular expertise in social robotics, artificial intelligence, and instructional communication. His research has fundamentally shaped how we understand the psychological and relational dynamics that emerge when humans interact with robots and AI systems. Spence's early work, including "Welcoming Our Robot Overlords" (151 citations) and "Initial Interaction Expectations with Robots" (147 citations), established that people apply human-to-human interaction scripts when encountering robots — a foundational insight for the field. His investigations into educational contexts have been especially influential, with his studies on robots as classroom teachers (174 citations) and AI-driven instruction (153 citations) challenging assumptions about the future of pedagogy and teacher roles. Spence has also advanced theoretical frameworks for understanding perceived humanness in AI, most notably through his I-It, I-Thou, I-Robot essay (110 citations). Collectively, his work — accumulating nearly 1,100 citations across these ten papers alone — has helped establish human-machine communication as a rigorous and urgent scholarly discipline, making him an essential voice for anyone studying how technology is reshaping human relationships and learning.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Initial expectations, interactions, and beyond with social robots195 citations · 2018
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