Mai 08, 2026 at 10:15am
Title: Semester Welcome Brunch
Speaker: Thomas Lachmann
Location: RPTU - Campus Kaiserslautern, Building 6
Mai 22, 2026 at 10:15 am
Title: Letters in context: Investigating the Negative Congruence Effect of Letter Recognition
Speaker: Lais Muntini (PhD student; supervisor: Thomas Lachmann & Jon Duñabeitia)
Abstract: Literature suggests categorical differences in the processing of letters and non-letters: letters rely on highly practiced, automatized, analytic representations that conflict with the grouping tendencies induced by congruent surrounding shapes, whereas non-letters are more susceptible to holistic integration with the surrounding context. This is described as the negative congruence effect for letters, i.e., performance is reduced when letters are surrounded by a congruent shape, while incongruent surrounds produce positive or neutral congruence effects. In the present study, we investigated whether these effects can be modulated when the surrounding visual context is extended by the addition of flankers that repeat the shape surrounding the targets. In a speeded target identification task, we manipulated surrounding congruence (congruent vs. incongruent), flanker condition (none, two flankers, four flankers) and target type (letter vs psedoletter). We hypothesized that flankers may form a broader contextual structure, making the central letter more isolated and thereby reducing or eliminating the influence of the surrounding shape. Crowding could also increase holistic processing, creating an interference effect and causing the suppression of letter distinctions, i.e., ignore letter category. Results showed that performance decreased with the number of flankers, suggesting interference from the surroundings in the identification of both letters and pseudoletters. However, a significant interaction indicated that pseudoletters were more affected by incongruent surrounds, while letters remained relatively stable. Notably, no three-way interaction was found between target type, surround congruence, and flanker condition. These findings corroborate evidence for the negative congruence effect and support the presumption of crowding interference. Although descriptive patterns suggested a slight advantage for letters in the incongruent condition with increasing flankers, no statistical significancy was found; hence, the isolation hypothesis was not confirmed by our experiment. This was interpreted as a material-related visual angle limitation. This investigation highlights how immediate and expanded context shape letter recognition.
Location: RPTU - Campus Kaiserslautern, Building 57, Room 315
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Zoom Link: https://uni-kl-de.zoom-x.de/j/61377083120?pwd=vMtvs0gSchQx83Os8RcuqKVQEb4YYE.1
XXIPhD Meeting in Psychology - Psychology in the XXI century: Science, practice and society
28-29 May 2026 at Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon
For more information see: phdmeeting.dpso.iscte.pt
June 12, 2026 at 10:15 am
Title:
Speaker: Omar Jubran (RPTU - Kaiserslautern)
Abstract:
Location: RPTU - Campus Kaiserslautern, Building 57, Room 315
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June 19, 2026 at 10:15 am
Title:
Speaker: Xin Ying Lee (Graduate school member)
Abstract:
Location: RPTU - Campus Kaiserslautern, Building 57, Room 315
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June 26, 2026 at 10:15 am
Title:
Speaker: Claudia Bauer (Graduate School member)
Abstract:
Location: RPTU - Campus Kaiserslautern, Building 57, Room 315
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July 03, 2026 at 10:15 am
Title:
Speaker: Dorjderem Byambasuren (Graduate School member)
Abstract:
Location: RPTU - Campus Kaiserslautern, Building 57, Room 315
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July 10, 2026 at 10:15 am
Title:
Speaker: Nicole Roemer (Graduate School member)
Abstract:
Location: RPTU - Campus Kaiserslautern, Building 57, Room 315
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Zoom Link: