UBC Graduation. Photo by Paul Joseph, UBC Brand and Marketing.
Tuum Est. It is yours.
Join us in congratulating our students who are crossing the stage at UBC’s spring 2025 graduation ceremony this week. We celebrate the accomplishments of our MA and PhD graduates and wish them the very best in their future endeavours.
From understanding why some people perceive AI to have a mind of its own—to researching different ways patients with OCD self-reassure—these promising researchers are addressing today’s complex societal challenges.
Meet the graduating class of 2025 and learn more about their work.
PhD graduates
Dr. Xiaolei Deng
Citation: How can we gauge risk of experiencing gambling harm? Dr. Deng examined online gambling data in British Columbia and found gambling products with higher usage and spending concentrations attracted gamblers with elevated risk. Gambling risk was also predicted by deposit and withdrawal behaviours and by a combination of product risk and usage.
Dr. Kate Guan
Citation: Dr. Guan studied how people make sense of one other’s moral characters – their capacity for good and evil. Her research uncovered how, when supposedly good people act badly, this threatens our psychological sense that the world is a predictable and safe place. Her work sheds light on how beliefs about morality shape our interactions with others.
Dr. Oliver Jacobs
Citation: Dr. Jacobs’ research explored the tendency of people to perceive AI and large language models as having a mind of their own. He found that these beliefs are common and that it can shape how people see themselves and what it means to be human. His results add to a growing understanding of human-computer interaction.
Why did you choose to study at UBC Psychology?
I chose to study at UBC because of its world-class psychology program and the opportunity to work with Dr. Alan Kingstone and his Brain, Attention, and Reality lab. Specifically, I wanted to be in an environment where I could combine cognitive science research with emerging technologies.
What drove you to study your line of research?
I began to get into human-computer interaction because of a Mitacs project I had with an AI chatbot startup. From there, I felt like I had the support to pursue any type of research I wanted, and with the rise of large language models, it seemed like the right step forward to focus on the psychological impacts of such a groundbreaking technology.
Is there a single moment or highlight or person in your academic journey that stands out?
The highlight of my academic journey thus far has been all the fantastic memories, big or small, that have been made with my wonderful supervisor and many good friends in the lab.
What advice do you have for others considering graduate school?
Grad school can be a deeply rewarding experience but it is not for everyone. If you think you will find meaning in the process itself - not just reaching the end goal - then it might be a great fit for you.
Dr. Ariel Ko
Citation: Dr. Ko studied how perfectionism develops in children and adolescents. Her research showed that psychologically controlling and uninvolved parenting predicted greater perfectionism in children two years later, highlighting the clinical significance of involving parents in the treatment of childhood perfectionism.
Dr. Carly Parsons
Citation: Dr. Parsons explored different reassurance-seeking strategies used by people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Her research highlights the internet as a key source of reassuring information, which people may prefer when feeling self-conscious about their fears. This work expands theories of reassurance-seeking and may inform treatments for OCD.
Dr. Raechel Drew and Dr. William Jettinghoff also graduated in spring 2025.
MA graduates
Ni An
Research Area: Cognitive Science
MA Thesis: Do Post-concussion Cognitive Symptoms Include Deeper Inattention During Mind Wandering?
Kelly Yu also graduated in spring 2025.
The entire psychology community is proud of you and wishes you the best!
