Marco Dehnert

Affiliation confirmed via AI analysis of OpenAlex, ORCID, and web sources.

Assistant Professor of Communication and Technology

University of Arkansas

Also affiliated: Arizona State University (2021–2024)

8 h-index 30 pubs 286 cited

Research Areas

Biomedical Subjects

Links

ORCID Research Group

OverviewAI-generated summary

Marco Dehnert's research examines human-machine communication, human-AI interaction, and the societal consequences of emerging communication technologies. His work employs multi-method social science approaches to investigate these areas. Dehnert has explored the complexities of AI-based persuasion, the role of AI chatbots in providing virtual social support for managing loneliness and anxiety, and the ethical considerations surrounding human-robot relationships, including questions of property and personhood.

His publications also address the intersection of technology and identity, analyzing ableist discourses in human-machine communication and critiquing allonormative perspectives on asexual and aromantic individuals. Dehnert has also investigated human-machine sexualities and the broader implications of human-robot encounters. His research group at the University of Arkansas includes collaborators such as R. H. Leach, Freddie J. Jennings, and Nicholas Purintun, with whom he has co-authored multiple publications.

Dehnert holds a PhD from Arizona State University. His scholarly output includes 30 publications with 282 citations and an h-index of 8. His most recent publication is from 2026, indicating ongoing activity in his research areas.

Metrics

h-index: 8
Publications: 30
Citations: 286

Positions

Assistant Professor of Communication and Technology 2024–present

University of Arkansas Department of Communication ORCID
Doctoral Student/Graduate Teaching Associate 2019–2024

Arizona State University The Hugh Downs School of Human Communication ORCID

Selected Publications

The Communicative Construction of Care: Evidence for Subjectively Reciprocal Relations Between Humans and Machines (2026)

The Journal of Sex Research 2 citations DOI OpenAlex
On-Demand Intimacy: The Sociotechnical Appeal of AI Companions (2026)

Social Media + Society 3 citations DOI OpenAlex
Artificial intelligence chatbots as a source of virtual social support: Implications for loneliness and anxiety management (2025)

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 30 citations DOI OpenAlex
The Depolarizing Effect of AI Chatbots: Effects of Interactive News on Belief Perseverance and Information Seeking (2025)

Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media DOI OpenAlex
What HMC Teaches Us About Authenticity (2024)

Human-Machine Communication 7 citations DOI OpenAlex