Psychology Department, 91�� » Calendar of events

11/06 10am-11:30am: After PhD: Finding Postdoctoral and Academic Positions – Language & Wellbeing

Linda Wilson — Fri, 29 May 2026 08:34:59 GMT

When: 10:00 - 11:30, Thu, 11 Jun '26

Where: 1.61 Multi Purpose Room, First Floor, Psychology Building

Part of the PG SSLC series of workshops for postgraduate researchers in Psychology.

Speakers: Katy Stokes, Kirsty Green, Miriam Wuensch
Location: 01.61
Time: Thursday, 11 June 2026, 10:00–11:30

Register to attend using the link here: After PhD: Finding Postdoctoral and Academic Position Question Collection – Fill in formLink opens in a new window

16/06 10am-11am: Late-Stage PhD: Thesis Preparation and Viva

Linda Wilson — Fri, 29 May 2026 08:29:04 GMT

When: 10:00 - 11:00, Tue, 16 Jun '26

Where: Online on MSTeams

Part of the PG SSLC series of workshops for postgraduate researchers.

Speaker: Katy Stokes
Location: Online
Time: Tuesday, 16 June 2026, 10:00–11:00

Meeting ID: 343 231 166 608 900

Passcode: 9c656sh2

16/06 12pm-1pm: PhD Seminars for First Year Students - Students are Jing Gu, Wiki Jeglinska, Ihor Komnatskyy, Sarwang Dwivedi

Linda Wilson — Tue, 26 May 2026 14:30:46 GMT

When: 12:00 - 13:00, Tue, 16 Jun '26

Where: 1.61 Multi Purpose Room, First Floor, New Psychology Building

17/06 12pm-1pm: Language and Learning Seminar: Dr Suwei Wu, China University of Petroleum

Linda Wilson — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:16:49 GMT

When: 12:00 - 13:00, Wed, 17 Jun '26

Where: Microsoft Teams - Message Ying Guo for Link

Title: TBC

Abstract: TBC

18/06 12pm-1pm: Department Psychology Seminars: Dr Luc Boutsen, Aston University

Linda Wilson — Tue, 26 May 2026 14:17:07 GMT

When: 12:00 - 13:00, Thu, 18 Jun '26

Where: 1.61 Multi Purpose Room, First Floor, New Psychology Building

Title: TBC

Abstract: TBC

23/06 12pm-1pm: Department Psychology Seminars: Louise Connell, Maynooth University

Linda Wilson — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 07:35:18 GMT

When: 12:00 - 13:00, Tue, 23 Jun '26

Where: 1.61 Multi Purpose Room, First Floor, New Psychology Building

Title: Sensorimotor semantics: how perception and action experience shape high-level cognition

Abstract: The cognitive sciences view concepts as the heart of cognition, yet it remains a matter of debate how we mentally represent concepts as diverse as cat, affection, and calculus. Grounded theories of representation hold that the same neural systems engaged during perception and action experience are also engaged when meaning is processed during conceptual tasks, thus providing a grounding mechanism for semantic memory. However, the contribution of sensorimotor information beyond the senses of vision and hearing (and to a lesser extent touch and smell) is not well understood, nor is the role of sensorimotor information in grounding abstract concepts. By incorporating a multidimensional variety of perceptual experience from a range of distinct modalities and action experience from a range of distinct bodily effectors, and doing so at the full scale of adult semantic memory (approximately 40k lexical concepts), we have tested grounded theories of cognition across a broad variety of cognitive tasks. From semantic similarity to visual word recognition to categorical structure, we find that the sensorimotor experience underlying conceptual representations plays an essential role in both concrete and abstract domains. Overall, these findings suggest that sensorimotor grounding helps provide humans with a robust, flexible conceptual system, where the distinction between abstract and concrete concepts is not as clearcut as ontological assumptions might suggest.

24/06 2pm-3:30pm: After PhD: Finding Postdoctoral and Academic Positions – Behavioural Science

Linda Wilson — Fri, 29 May 2026 08:35:46 GMT

When: 14:00 - 15:30, Wed, 24 Jun '26

Where: 1.61 Multi Purpose Room, First Floor, Psychology Building

Part of the PG SSLC series of workshops for postgraduate researchers in Psychology.

Speakers: Lucas Castillo, Yuqi Ye, Yunxiao Li
Location: 01.61 (hybrid)
Time: Wednesday, 24 June 2026, 14:00–15:30

Register to attend using the link here: After PhD: Finding Postdoctoral and Academic Position Question Collection – Fill in formLink opens in a new window

25/06 11am-12pm: Department Psychology Seminars: Dr Elizabeth Wonnacott, Oxford University

Linda Wilson — Tue, 26 May 2026 14:18:26 GMT

When: 11:00 - 12:00, Thu, 25 Jun '26

Where: 1.61 Multi Purpose Room, First Floor, New Psychology Building

Title: TBC

Abstract: TBC

Psychology Department, 91���� » Calendar of events

11/06 10am-11:30am: After PhD: Finding Postdoctoral and Academic Positions – Language & Wellbeing

16/06 10am-11am: Late-Stage PhD: Thesis Preparation and Viva

16/06 12pm-1pm: PhD Seminars for First Year Students - Students are Jing Gu, Wiki Jeglinska, Ihor Komnatskyy, Sarwang Dwivedi

17/06 12pm-1pm: Language and Learning Seminar: Dr Suwei Wu, China University of Petroleum

18/06 12pm-1pm: Department Psychology Seminars: Dr Luc Boutsen, Aston University

23/06 12pm-1pm: Department Psychology Seminars: Louise Connell, Maynooth University

24/06 2pm-3:30pm: After PhD: Finding Postdoctoral and Academic Positions – Behavioural Science

25/06 11am-12pm: Department Psychology Seminars: Dr Elizabeth Wonnacott, Oxford University

Psychology Department, 91�� » Calendar of events