Austin Beattie, MA, is a fourth-year Doctoral Candidate. Austin earned a B.S. in Communication Studies and Economics from Northern Michigan University, and an M.A. in Communication from Western Michigan University where he was an all-university scholar. 

Employing quantitative methods, Austin's research has focused primarily on interactional expectancies and impressions, which he has examined in computer-mediated communication (CMC), human-machine communication (HMC), and supportive communication contexts.

Austin’s dissertation work examines how characteristics of message and source influence the ways in which support is engaged, facilitated, and evaluated via supportive human-machine communication (SHMC) - the use of technological platforms such as automated chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI) to buffer stress.

Selected Publications and Conference Papers:
Edwards, C., Beattie, A. J., Edwards, A., & Spence, P. R. (2016). Differences in perceptions of communication quality between a Twitterbot and human agent for information seeking and learning. Computers in Human Behavior, 65, 666-671.
Beattie, A. J., Edwards, C., & Williams, M. J. (2018). Telepresence Group Leaders Receive Higher Ratings of Social Attractiveness and Leadership Quality. In Companion of the 2018 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (pp. 61-62). ACM.
Beattie, A. J. (2019). Toward explicating supportive human-machine communication. Paper presented at the 69th annual conference of the International Communication Association, Washington, DC, USA
Richards, R. & Beattie, A. J. (2019). Alexa, why are you so stupid? Exploring empathy towards insulted virtual personal assistants versus humans. Paper presented at the 69th annual conference of the International Communication Association, Washington, DC, USA
Beattie, A. J. & Baker, M. (2019). Computer-mediated subcultures: The virtual petri dish. Paper presented at the 87th annual conference of the Central States Communication Association, Omaha, NE, USA
Beattie, A. J., & Richards, R. (2018). Want to talk a-bot it?: The human-to-human interaction script and robot support providers. Paper presented at the 68th annual conference of the International Communication Association, Prague, Czech Republic.
Beattie, A. J., Edwards, A. L., & Edwards, C. (2020) A Bot and a Smile: Interpersonal Impressions of Chatbots and Humans Using Emoji in Computer-mediated Communication, Communication Studies, 71 DOI: 10.1080/10510974.2020.1725082