Mag. Theresa Matzinger, BSc MSc PhD

T: +43-1-4277-42425

theresa.matzinger@univie.ac.at

Consultation hours: Tuesday 5:30-6:30 pm

Summer term 2026

122048 PS Proseminar Linguistics 2 (BA)

122222 SE Linguistics Seminar / BA Paper

Winter term 2025

122222 SE Linguistics Seminar / BA Paper

122250 AR MA+MEd Advanced Course in Linguistics - Focus: Historical

Summer term 2025

122047 PS Proseminar Linguistics 2 (BA) - Selected topics in language evolution

Matzinger, T., & Pleyer, M. (2025). Language Evolution as an Interdisciplinary and Integrative Research Field. In D. Bradley, K. Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, C. Hamans, I.-H. Lee, & F. Steurs (Eds.), Contemporary Linguistics: Integrating Languages, Communities, and Technologies (pp. 249-264). Brill.

Placiński, M., & Matzinger, T. (2025). Structural alignment leads to lower cognitive load in a collaborative task. Interaction Studies, 26(1), 102-129. https://doi.org/10.1075/is.24029.pla

Matzinger, T., Placiński, M., Gutowski, A., Lewandowski, M., Żywiczyński, P., & Wacewicz, S. (2024). Inherent linguistic preference outcompetes incidental alignment in cooperative partner choice. Language and Cognition, 16(4), 1834-1851. https://doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2024.27

Matzinger, T., Pleyer, M., Zhang, E. Q., & Zywiczynski, P. (2024). A cross-cultural approach to cognitive state attribution based on inter-turn speech pauses. Interaction Studies, 25(3), 393-434. https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/is.24044.mat

Böhm, I. A., Ritt, N., & Matzinger, T. (Accepted/In press). Sound changes are selected by a bias against morphotactic ambiguity. Journal of Historical Linguistics.

Baumann, A., Matzinger, T., Mühlenbernd, R., Wacewicz, S., Pleyer, M., Hartmann, S., & Placinski, M. (2024). The role of linguistically encoded emotional characteristics for cooperativeness in a one-shot prisoner’s dilemma. In The Evolution of Language: Proceedings of the 15th International Conference (Evolang XV) http://evolang2024.github.io/proceedings/paper.html

Placiński, M., Żywiczyński, P., Matzinger, T., Sibierska, M., Boruta-Żywiczyńska, M., Szala, A., & Wacewicz, S. (2023). Evolution of Pantomime in Dyadic Interaction. A Motion Capture Study. Journal of Language Evolution, 8(2), 134-148. Article lzad010. https://doi.org/10.1093/jole/lzad010

Matzinger, T., Pleyer, M., & Żywiczyński, P. (2023). Pause Length and Differences in Cognitive State Attribution in Native and Non-Native Speakers. Languages, 8(1), Article 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8010026

Popescu, T. C., Stahl, B., Wiernik, B. M., Helm, H., Zemanek, M., Haiduk, F., Matzinger, T., Beisteiner, R., & Fitch, W. T. S. (2022). Melodic Intonation Therapy for aphasia: A multi-level meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and individual participant data. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1516(1), 76-84. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14848

Matzinger, T., & Ritt, N. (2022). Phonotactically probable word shapes represent attractors in the cultural evolution of sound patterns. Cognitive Linguistics, 33(2), 415-446. https://doi.org/10.1515/cog-2021-0087

Baumann, A., Matzinger, T., & Kazmierski, K. (2021). Scaling laws for phonotactic complexity in spoken English language data. Language and Speech, 64(3), 693-704. https://doi.org/10.1177/0023830920944445

Baumann, A., & Matzinger, T. (2021). Correlates in the evolution of phonotactic diversity in English: linguistic structure, demographics, and network characteristics. Language Sciences, 86, Article 101386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2021.101386

Matzinger, T., Ritt, N., & Fitch, W. T. S. (2021). The Influence of Different Prosodic Cues on Word Segmentation. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 622042. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.622042

Matzinger, T., Specker, E., Ritt, N., & Fitch, W. T. S. (2021). Aesthetic perception of prosodic patterns as a factor in speech segmentation. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 43, 2992-2998. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4tm94762

Matzinger, T., & Fitch, W. T. S. (2021). Voice modulatory cues to structure across languages and species. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 376(1840), Article 20200393. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0393

Matzinger, T., Ritt, N., & Fitch, W. T. S. (2020). Non-native speaker pause patterns closely correspond to those of native speakers at different speech rates. PLoS ONE, 15(4), Article e0230710. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230710

Sima, M. J., Matzinger, T., Bugnyar, T., & Pika, S. (2018). Reconciliation and third-party affiliation in carrion crows. Ethology, 124(1), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.12699

Matzinger, T. (2014). Teiche in der Landschaft – Bedeutung, Funktionen und Gefährdung. Schriftenreihe des Bundesamts für Wasserwirtschaft.

Research interests

Language sciences
Language evolution
Language change
Phonetics, phonology and prosody
Psycholinguistics
Historical linguistics
Cognitive science & behavioural sciences
Animal cognition & communication

CV

2022- : Post-doctoral researcher, Department of English, University of Vienna.
2018- : Lecturer, Department of English, University of Vienna.
2022: ÖAW Post-doc Track fellow, Department of English, University of Vienna.
2021-2022: Post-doctoral researcher, Center of Language Evolution Studies, University of Toruń.
2017-2021: PhD, Department of English & Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna. Fellow of the Doctoral Programme "Cognition & Communication" and the Vienna Doctoral School 'Cognition, Behaviour and Neuroscience'. Supervisors: Prof. Nikolaus Ritt, Prof. W. Tecumseh Fitch.
2016-2020: University Assistant (prae-doc), Department of English, University of Vienna.
2014-2021: AHS (high school) teacher for English and Biology.
2015-2016: Studies of English Language and Linguistics, University of Vienna.
2011-2015: MSc in Behaviour, Neurobiology and Cognition, University of Vienna.
2008-2014: Mag. rer. nat. in Biology and English (Lehramt), University of Vienna.
2008-2011: BSc in Biology (Microbiology and Genetics), University of Vienna.

Publications

Schwarz M, Matzinger T & Ritt N. Testing shared language as a source of trust in an investment game (in prep)

Matzinger T, Specker E, Ritt N & Fitch WT. Aesthetic appeal of prosodic patterns influences their segmentation from a speech stream (under review)

Matzinger T, Auersperg AMI & Bugnyar T. Problem-solving and tool-use in Common Ravens (C. corax) and Carrion Crows (C. corone) (under revision)

Popescu T, Wiernik BM, Haiduk F, Matzinger T, Beisteiner R & Fitch WT. 2022. Melodic intonation therapy for aphasia: a meta-analysis. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences: 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14848

Matzinger T & Ritt N. 2022. Phonotactically probable word shapes represent attractors in the evolution of sound patterns. Cognitive Linguistics 33(2): 415-446. https://doi.org/10.1515/cog-2021-0087

Matzinger T & Fitch WT. 2021. Voice modulatory cues to structure across languages and species. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 376: 20200393. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0393

Matzinger T, Specker E, Ritt N & Fitch WT. 2021. Aesthetic perception of prosodic patterns as a factor in speech segmentation. Proceedings of the 43^rd Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society.

Baumann A & Matzinger T. 2021. Correlates in the evolution of phonotactic diversity in English: Linguistic structure, demographics, and network characteristics. Language Sciences 86(1): 101386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2021.101386

Matzinger T, Ritt N & Fitch WT. 2021. The influence of different prosodic cues on word segmentation. Frontiers in Psychology 12: 622042. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.622042

Baumann A, Kaźmierski K & Matzinger T. 2020. Scaling laws for phonotactic complexity in spoken language data. Language and Speech. https://doi.org/10.1177/0023830920944445

Matzinger T, Ritt N & Fitch WT. 2020. Non-native speaker pause patterns closely correspond to those of native speakers at different speech rates. PLoS ONE 15(4), e0230710. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230710

Matzinger T & Aust U. Effect of stimulus material in visual discrimination tasks in pigeons (Columba livia) (in prep)

Sima MJ, Matzinger T, Bugnyar T & Pika S. 2018. Reconciliation and third-party affiliation in carrion crows. Ethology 124, 33-44.

Matzinger, T. 2016. Teiche in der Landschaft – Bedeutung, Funktionen und Gefährdung. In: Bundesamt für Wasserwirtschaft. Festschrift zum zwanzigjährigen Bestehen.

Matzinger, T. 2014. Teiche in der Landschaft – Bedeutung, Funktionen und Gefährdung. Schriftenreihe des Bundesamtes für Wasserwirtschaft, Band 36.
http://www.baw.at/images/pdf/oeko/downloads/teiche_landschaft_ebook.pdf

Awards, scholarships and grants

2022: Infographics Competition University of Vienna – 1st prize (400€)
2022: Post-doc Track Grant (Austrian Academy of Sciences; 21,000€)
2020: Dissertation Completion Grant (University of Vienna; 6000€)
2019: Science Communication Grant of the Vienna Business Agency for designing and presenting an exhibit at the Vienna Science Festival 2020 (4400€)
2019: SLE (Societas Linguistica Europaea) award for the best presentation by a PhD student at the 52th Annual Meeting of the SLE (500€ and invited plenary talk at the SLE conference 2021)
2017: Conference Travel Grant of the Ethological Society (500€)
2012, 2014: ASAB Conference Travel Grants (500€ each)
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 (2x), 2014, 2017: Academic excellence scholarship (Leistungsstipendium), University of Vienna. (approx. 1000 € each)

Teaching

PS Proseminar Linguistics 2 – Experiments in Linguistics: WS 2022/23; University of Vienna.
Workshop: Analysing our speech in Praat: 1-day workshop, summer 2022; Nicolaus Copernicus University Toruń.
Workshop: Introduction to data analysis in R: 2-day workshop, winter 2021/22; Nicolaus Copernicus University Toruń.
UE Methods in Digital Humanities – Data Visualization in R: WS 2021/22; University of Vienna.
SE Bachelor seminar – Linguistic complexity and population size: SS 2021; University of Vienna.
AR Research methods in linguistics: statistics sessions: WS 2018/19, SS 2019, WS 2020/21; coordination of the course: WS 2021/22, WS 2022/23; University of Vienna.
FS Research Seminar – Experimental Approaches to Language Change: SS 2018; University of Vienna.
PS Proseminar Linguistics 1 – Phonetics and Phonology: WS 2017/18, SS 2018, WS 2018/19, SS 2019, SS 2020, WS 2020/21, WS 2021/22, SS 2022; University of Vienna.