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Dr. Mathias Barthel

Professorale Vertretung für Sprachwissenschaft des Deutschen / Empirische Sprachwissenschaft

Institut für Deutsche Sprache und Literatur I
Sprachwissenschaft

Philosophikum, Raum: 2.120
E-Mail: mathias.barthel(at)uni-koeln.de

Sprechstunde nach Vereinbarung

Mathias studierte Sprach- und Kognitionspsychologie an den Universitäten Leipzig (Deutschland), Wollongong (Australien) und Nijmegen (Niederlande) und schloss sein Studium der Anglistik und Allgemeinen Sprachwissenschaft an der Universität Leipzig im Jahr 2012 ab – mit den Schwerpunkten Sprachpsychologie sowie Semantik und Pragmatik. Für sein Promotionsstudium zur Psycholinguistik des Dialogs wechselte er an das Max-Planck-Institut für Psycholinguistik in Nijmegen, wo er 2020 an der Radboud-Universität Nijmegen promovierte. Nach einer Tätigkeit als Postdoc im Bereich Experimentelle Pragmatik an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin wechselte Mathias an die Abteilung Pragmatik des Instituts für Deutsche Sprache in Mannheim; dort wandte er einen Mixed-Methods-Ansatz auf die Erforschung der Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion an und leitete ein Forschungsprojekt zur Semantik und Pragmatik des Timing von Sprecherwechseln im Dialog. Derzeit vertritt Mathias die Professur für Empirische Sprachwissenschaft an der Universität zu Köln (Prof. Petra Schumacher).

Forschungsschwerpunkte

  • Speech Production
  • Language Processing in Dialogue
  • Semiotics of Turn-Timing
  • Interactional Linguistics
  • Conversation Anlaysis
  • Language and (Non-)Cooperativity
  • Language Comprehension
  • Cognitive Effort in Language Processing
  • Human-Machine Interaction
  • Physiological Markers of Language Processing 

Forschungsprojekte, Workshops und Symposia

Lehre

  • Introduction to Linguistics (University of Cologne)
  • Language, Body, and Mind (University of Cologne)
  • Interactional Linguistics and Conversation Analysis - Methods and Concepts (University of Cologne)
  • Empirical Research Methods in Linguistics (University of Cologne)
  • Discourse Planning and Structures of Verbal Interaction (University of Cologne)
  • Introduction to Psycholinguistics (Heidelberg University)
  • Language and Gaze in Cognition and Interaction (Heidelberg University)
  • Language Comprehension in Dialogue - Doing Empirical Psycholinguistics (Berlin University Alliance)
  • Pragmatics - The Grammar of Interaction (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

Publikationen

  • Barthel, M. (2026). Phonological input processing is reduced during speech planning in turn taking. Journal of Memory and Language, 146, 104717. DOI: 10.1016/j.jml.2025.104717. (PDF)
  • Vanzan, V., Bedir, T., Maraev, V., Lagerstedt, E., Barthel, M., & Howes, C. (2025). Fart gags and prudish machines: Laughter in human-agent interactions. Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction - Full Papers. HAI. DOI: 10.1145/3765766.3765802 (PDF)
  • Barthel, M. (2025). Alexa, you are too slow! Invariant turn-transition times and conversational flow in natural human – voice agent interaction. Proceedings of the 29th Workshop on the Semantics and Pragmatics of Dialogue - Full Papers, 135-145. SemDial. (PDF)
  • Rühlemann, C. & Barthel, M. (2025). Speech planning depends on next-speaker selection: evidence from eye-tracking in question-answer sequences in naturalistic triadic conversation. Discourse Processes, 1-22. DOI: 10.1080/0163853X.2025.2544109 (PDF)
  • Blohm, S. & Barthel, M. (2025). Why so cold and distant? Effects of inter-turn gap durations on observers' attributions of interpersonal stance. Proceedings of the 29th Workshop on the Semantics and Pragmatics of Dialogue - Full Papers. SemDial. (PDF)
  • Barthel, M. & Rühlemann, C. (2025). Pupil size indicates planning effort at turn transitions in natural conversation. Chapter 7 In: Zima, E. & Stukenbrock, A. (Eds). New Perspectives on Gaze in Social Interaction: Mobile Eye Tracking Studies. John Benjamins. DOI: 10.1075/pbns.351.07bar (PDF)
  • Rühlemann, C. & Barthel, M. (2024). Word frequency and cognitive effort in turns-at-talk: turn structure affects processing load in natural conversation. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1208029. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1208029 (PDF)
  • Barthel, M., Tomasello, R., & Liu, M. (2024). Conditionals in context: Brain signatures of prediction in discourse processing. Cognition, 242, 105635. DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105635 (PDF)
  • Barthel, M., Helmer, H., & Reineke, S. (2023). First users’ interactions with voice-controlled virtual assistants: A micro-longitudinal corpus study. Proceedings of the 27th Workshop on the Semantics and Pragmatics of Dialogue - Full Papers. SemDial. (PDF)
  • Barthel, M., Tomasello, R., & Liu, M. (2022). Online comprehension of conditionals in context: A self-paced reading study on wenn (‘if’) versus nur wenn (‘only if’) in German. Linguistics Vanguard, 8(4). DOI: 10.1515/lingvan-2021-0083 (PDF)
  • Liu, M., & Barthel, M. (2021). Semantics Processing of Conditional Connectives: German wenn ‘if’ Versus nur wenn ‘only if.’ Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 50(6), 1337–1368. DOI: 10.1007/s10936-021-09812-0 (PDF)
  • Barthel, M. (2021). Speech planning interferes with language comprehension: Evidence from semantic illusions in question-response sequences. In Proceedings of the 25th Workshop on the Semantics and Pragmatics of Dialogue – Full Papers. SemDial, Potsdam, Germany. (PDF)
  • Barthel, M. (2020). Speech planning in dialogue: Psycholinguistic studies of the timing of turn taking.MPI Series in Psycholinguistics, 150. Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen. (PDF)
  • Barthel, M., & Levinson, S. C. (2020). Next speakers plan word forms in overlap with the incoming turn: Evidence from gaze-contingent switch task performance. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 35(9), 1183-1202 . DOI: 10.1080/23273798.2020.1716030 (PDF)
  • Barthel, M., & Sauppe, S. (2019). Speech planning at turn transitions in dialog is associated with increased processing load. Cognitive Science, 43(7), e12768. DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12768 (PDF)
  • Barthel, M., Meyer, A.S., & Levinson, S.C. (2017). Next speakers plan their turn early and speak after turn-final `go-signals’. Frontiers in Psychology, 8: 393. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00393 (PDF)
  • Barthel, M., Sauppe, S, Levinson, S.C., & Meyer, A.S. (2016). The timing of utterance planning in task-oriented dialogue: Evidence from a novel list-completion paradigm. Frontiers in Psychology, 7: 1858. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01858 (PDF)

Vorträge

  • Barthel, M. Methodological reflections on the use of conditional voice recorder data for (micro-)longitudinal analyses of human – voice agent interaction. Paper presented at the 25th Conference on Discourse and Conversation Analysis, Leibniz Institute for the German Language, Mannheim, Germany, 25.-27.04.2026.
  • Barthel, M. Speech production and comprehension at turn transitions: Lessons from eye-tracking. Invited talk at the Workshop on Eyetracking in Interaction Research, German Linguistics Department, University of Zürich, 06.03.2026.
  • Barthel, M. Shallow input processing at turn transitions: Language specific or domain general? Invited talk at the Phonetics Colloquium, Phonetics Department, Institute for Linguistics, University of Cologne, 13.01.2026.
  • Barthel, M. The Psycholinguistics of Conversation: Fusing Experimental Control and Unscripted Interaction. Invited talk at the Linguistics Workgroup (LAK), Linguistics Department, Institute for German Language and Literature I, University of Cologne, 22.10.2025.
  • Vanzan, V., Bedir, T., Maraev, V., Lagerstedt, E., Barthel, M. & Howes, C. Fart gags and prudish machines: Laughter in human-agent interactions. Paper presented at the 13th International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction (HAI), Yokohama, Japan, 10.-13.11.2025.
  • Barthel, M. & Blohm, S. Are you not willing or not able to give a timely response? Inferences triggered by silent gaps between turns at talk. Paper presented at the 11th Experimental Pragmatics Conference (XPRAG), Cambridge, England, 17.09.2025.
  • Barthel, M. Alexa, you are too slow! Invariant turn-transition times and conversational flow in natural human – voice agent interaction. Paper presented at Semantics and Pragmatics of Dialogue (SemDial), Bielefeld, Germany, 03.-05.09.2025.
  • Blohm, S. & Barthel, M. When 'yes' sounds like 'maybe': Inferences about respondents in offers and requests. Paper presented at Architectures and Mechanisms for Language Processing (AMLaP), Prague, Czech Republic, 04.-06.09.2025.
  • Blohm, S. & Barthel, M. Why so cold and distant? Effects of inter-turn gap durations on observers' attributions of interpersonal stance. Paper presented at Semantics and Pragmatics of Dialogue (SemDial), Bielefeld, Germany, 03.-05.09.2025.
  • Vanzan, V., Bedir, T., Maraev, V., Lagerstedt, E., Howes, C. & Barthel, M. "Alexa, are you prudish?" Laughter in German households with smart speakers. Paper presented at 35th International Society for Humor Studies Conference, Kraków, Poland, 07.-11-07.2025.
  • Rühlemann, C. & Barthel, M. Next-speaker selection, mutual gaze, and pupil size in question-answer sequences in naturalistic triadic conversation: Using corpus-pragmatic methods to extend the current consensus model of speech planning. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Pragmatics Association (IPrA). Brisbane, Australia, 23.-27.06.2025.
  • Barthel, M. Processing Language in Dialogue: From Lab Studies to Natural Conversation. Invited talk at the Centre for Linguistic Theory and Studies in Probability (CLASP), Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, Gothenburg University. 18.06.2025.
  • Barthel, M. & Küttner U.-A. Atypicality in social interaction with virtual voice assistants in private settings: child and adult users. Paper presented at the Atypical Interaction Conference. Linköping, Sweden, 10.-12.06.2025.
  • Barthel, M. Language Comprehension in Dialogue. Invited talk at the Biological and Social Psychology Research Colloquium, Institute for Psychology, RWTH Aachen, Germany. 07.05.2025.
  • Gubina, A. & Barthel, M. (Un-)cooperative behaviour in social interaction. Symposium on (Un-)cooperative Behaviour in Social Interaction. Mannheim, Germany, 04.-06.12.2024.
  • Barthel, M. & Rühlemann, C. Pupillometry as an indicator of speech planning in unscripted conversation. Paper presented at XPrag.it – Experimental Pragmatics in Italy, Venice, Italy, 26.09.2024.
  • Blohm, S. & Barthel, M. Modulating the temporal threshold of tolerance for silent inter-turn gaps. Poster presented at XPrag.it – Experimental Pragmatics in Italy, Venice, Italy, 27.09.2024.
  • Barthel, M., Tomasello, R., & Liu, M. Prediction and integration of discourse-level meaning are functionally related. Paper presented at Experiments in Linguistic Meaning (ELM), Philadelphia, USA, 12.-14.06.2024.
  • Barthel, M., Tomasello, R., & Liu, M. The Functional Relation of Prediction and Integration in Discourse Processing. Paper presented at Linguistic Evidence, Potsdam, Germany, 22.-23.02.2024.
  • Barthel, M., Helmer, H., & Reineke, S. First users’ interactions with voice-controlled virtual assistants: A micro-longitudinal corpus study. Paper presented at Semantics and Pragmatics of Dialogue (SemDial), Maribor, Slovenia, 16.-17.08.2023.
  • Barthel, M., Helmer, H., & Reineke, S. Tracing routinization in interactions with smart speakers. Paper presented at 18th Conference of the International Pragmatics Association (IPrA), Brussels, Belgium, 09.-14.07.2023.
  • Barthel, M. Language processing in dialogue. Invited talk at the Heidelberg University Language and Cognition Lab, Heidelberg, Germany, 23.04.2023.
  • Barthel, M. Coordinating language comprehension and production in interaction. Invited talk at the collowuium of the Language and Communication Department of the Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands, 18.04.2023.
  • Barthel, M., Tomasello, R., & Liu, M. Discourse expectations in different types of conditional sentences: An ERP study. Poster presented at XPrag.it – Experimental Pragmatics in Italy, Pavia, Italy, 22.09.2022.
  • Elmura, E., Reiß, P, Schrewe, L., & Barthel, M. Reduced phonological processing during speech-planning. Paper presented at CogSci 2022, Toronto, Canada, 29.07.2022.
  • Schrewe, L., Reiß, P., Elmura, E., & Barthel, M. Phonological Input Processing is Reduced During Speech-Planning. Paper presented at IMPRS conference 2022, Nijmegen, Netherlands, 02.06.2022.
  • Barthel, M., Tomasello, R., & Liu, M. Processing conditionals in context: Reading time and electrophysiological responses. Paper presented at Experiments in Linguistic Meaning 2 (ELM), Philadelphia, USA, 19.05.2022.
  • Barthel, M. Speech planning interferes with language comprehension: Evidence from semantic illusions in question-response sequences. Paper presented at the 25th Workshop on the Semantics and Pragmatics of Dialogue (SemDial). University of Potsdam, Germany. 20-22.09.2021.
  • Liu, M. & Barthel, M. In search for natural language biconditional connectives. Paper presented at the Annal Meeting of the European Society for Philosophy and Psychology (ESPP). University of Leipzig, Germany. 30.08.-02.09.2021.
  • Barthel, M., Tomasello, R., & Liu, M. Brain signatures of processing conditionals: semantic vs. pragmatic bi-conditionality. Poster presented at The 4th Conference of Experimental Pragmatics in Italy (XPrag.it). University of Torino, Italy. 08.-09.07.2021.
  • Barthel, M. & Liu, M. Interpreting conditional connectives: Bi-conditionality and conditional perfection. Paper presented at The 4th XPrag.it - Experimental Pragmatics in Italy Conference. University of Torino, Italy. 08.-09.07.2021.
  • Barthel, M. Phonological forms are retrieved in overlap with listening to the incoming turn. Paper presented at the XV International Symposium of Psycholinguistics, Nebrija University, Madrid, Spain. 22.-25.06.2021.
  • Barthel, M. & Liu, M. The processing of (bi-)conditionality in natural language. Paper presented at The Psycholinguistics in Flanders Conference. University of Kaiserslautern, Germany. 20.05.2021.
  • Barthel, M. & Liu, M. The Meaning and Processing of Conditionals – German ‘wenn’ (if) vs. ‘nur wenn’ (only if). Paper presented at The 34th CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing. University of Pennsylvania, USA. 04.-06.03.2021.
  • Liu, M. & Barthel, M. The Semantics, Pragmatics and Processing of Conditional Connectives – German wenn, nur wenn, and wenn und nur wenn. Paper presented at The 43th annual conference of the German Society for Linguistics (DGfS). University of Freiburg, Germany. 23.-26.02.2021.
  • Barthel, M. Conceptions about the current and next speakers in (multimodal) psycholinguistics, interactional linguistics and conversation analysis. Paper presented at The Role of the Current Speaker in Conversational Turn Taking Workshop. Berlin, Germany. 14.-15.01.2021.
  • Liu, M. & Barthel, M. The semantics, pragmatics and processing of conditional connectives. Paper presented at The Processing of Negation and Polarity. Berlin, Germany. 01.-02.10.2020.
  • Barthel, M. Speech Production Strategies in Dialogue. Invited talk at Psycholinguistics Colloquium, Berlin, Germany, 03.06.2020
  • Barthel, M. Alignment in Turn Timing. Invited lecture in MA seminar 'Turn-taking and Alignment' at Department of German Studies and Linguistics, HU Berlin, Germany, 14.05.2020.
  • Barthel, M. Turn Timing and Speech Production in Dialogue. Invited talk at Neuro-Cognitive and Biological Psychology Colloquium, Berlin, Germany, 08.01.2020.
  • Barthel, M. & Sauppe S. Processing load at turn transitions in dialogue is affected by response planning during comprehension but not by the predictability of the comprehended turn. Paper presented at Embodied and Situated Language Processing (ESLP)/The Attentive Listener in the Visual World (AttLis). Berlin, Germany. 28.-30.08.2019.
  • Barthel, M. Interference of Comprehension with Planning in Dialogue. Paper presented at the XII International Symposium of Psycholinguistics. Valencia, Spain. 01.-04.06.2015.
  • Barthel, M. Keep talking while I plan my turn – (Un-)informativity at turn transitions. Poster presented at the 28th Annual CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing, Los Angeles, CA, USA. 19.-21.03.2015.
  • Barthel, M. Projectability of list-completions and the timing of speaker change in dialogue. Paper presented at the 4th International Conference on Conversation Analysis (ICCA). Los Angeles, CA, USA. 25.-29.06.2014.

Reviewing

  • Cognition
  • Cognitive Science
  • Journal of Pragmatics
  • Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
  • CogSci
  • Glossa Psycholinguistics
  • Frontiers in Psychology
  • Cerebral Cortex
  • Trends in Hearing
  • Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
  • Journal of Phonetics
  • Frontiers in Communication
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B - Biological Science
  • Thinking & Reasoning
  • Discourse Studies
  • Discourse Processes
  • Gesprächsforschung

Biographisches

  • 2025 - 2026: substitute professor at University of Cologne (DFG CRC 1252: Prominence in Language)
  • 2023 - 2026: PI of research project InterTurn (DFG funded)
  • 2022 - ongoing: Research Staff, Pragmatics Department, Institute for the German Language, Mannheim, Germany
  • 2021 - 2022: Academic Staff, Language Faculty, English Department (Linguistics), Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • 2020: PhD, Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands
  • 2019 - 2021: Post-Doc Researcher, Language Faculty, English Department (Linguistics), XPRAG.de Project SPOCC (DFG funded); Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • 2012 - 2019: PreDoc Researcher, Language and Cognition Department, ERC Project INTERACT (Stephen Levinson), Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands
  • 2012: Magister Artium in Linguistics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany 

Mitgliedschaften

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sprachwissenschaften (DGfS)