• Currently working toward Ph.D

• MA, University of British Columbia (2006)

• B.Sc., Beijing Normal University (2003)

Research Interest:

• Prospective Memory Retrieval Process

• Discrepancy Attribution Theory

Current Research:

Prospective Memory Retrival Process

Prospective memory (ProM) is the ability to make plans, to retain them and to carry them out at the appropriate time or in the appropriate context. Everyday examples of prospective memory tasks include remembering to buy bread on the way home from work, to go to a meeting at 3 pm and to take medication at the right time. What makes retrieval of a previous formed plan difficult (and prone to failure) is the fact that at the time of retrieval, we are usually engaged in other activities. For example, on the way home, we may devote all of our attention to driving in busy traffic or chatting with someone in the vehicle. Thus, when we pass by the supermarket, we may not recognize that the supermarket is a cue for buying the bread. Although ProM has been discussed and studied for fifteen years, we still know very little about the retrieval phase of ProM. The main goal of this study is to explore the retrieval processes of ProM.

Funding:

• President Travel Scholarship in Psychology, University of British Columbia (July 2005)

• University Graduate Fellowship (Sept 2004- Aug 2005)

• Elizabeth Young Lacey Scholarship in Psychology, UBC (Sept 2003- Aug 2004)

• Graduate Entrance Scholarship (Sept 2003- Aug 2004)

• Undergraduate Research Funding, Beijing Normal University (Sept. 2001- Mar 2002)

Research Assistant

Sept 2003 - Present

     Memory and Cognition Lab, UBC

Feb 2002- May 2003

     Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University

May 2001-Aug 2003

     Brain and Cognition Lab, Beijing Normal University

Teaching Assistant

Sept 2006-May 2007

       Psych 100  Instructors: Peter Graf and Del Paulhus

Sept 2005-May 2006

       Psych 100  Instructors: Peter Graf and Del Paulhus

Jan 2005-May 2005

     Psych 218  Instructor: Dawn Macaulay

Sept 2004-May 2005

     Psych 100  Instructors: Peter Graf and Ara Norenzayan

Sept 2004-Dec 2004

     Psych 217  Instructor: Christina Thorpe

May 2004-June 2004

     Psych 217  Instructor: Melady Preece

Sept 2003-April 2004

     Psych 100  Instructors: Peter Graf and Del Paulhus

• Student member of the Western Psychological Association

Gao, J. & Graf, P. (2006). How to obtain a discrepancy reaction. Poster presented at the 16^th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science. Saskatoon, SK, Canada

Gao, J, Graf, P. & Gillespie, G. (2006). The butcher on the bus. Poster presented at the 8^th Annual Northwest Cognition and Memory Conference. Vancouver, BC, Canada

Gao, J, Cuttler, C. & Graf, P. (2005). Prospective Memory, Instructions and Personality. Presented at the 46^th Annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society. Toronto, OR, Canada

Gao, J. & Graf, P. (2005). Cueing event-based episodic prospective memory retrieval. Presented at the 2^nd International Conference of Prospective Memory. Zurich, Switzerland

Gao, J. & Graf, P. (2005). Cues and prospective memory retrieval. Presented at the 7^th Annual Northwest Cognition and Memory Conference. Bellingham, WA, U.S.

Gao, J. & Graf, P. (2005). Retrieval processes for event cued prospective memory tasks. Presented at the 24^th annual meeting of the Banff Annual Seminar in Cognitive Science. Banff, AB, Canada

Gao, J. & Graf, P. (2005). Retrieval processes for event cued prospective memory tasks. Presented at the 85^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Portland, OR, U.S.

Gao, J. & Gao, J. (2004). Prospective memory retrieval with primed and unprimed cues. Presented at the 45^th Annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society. Minneapolis, MN, U.S.

Gao, J. & Graf, P. (2004). Cued prospective memory retrieval. Presented at the 28^th International Congress of Psychology. Beijing, China

Gao, J. & Graf, P. (2004). Prospective memory retrieval. Presented at the 6^th Annual Northwest Cognition and Memory Conference. Victoria, BC, Canada

Li, J., Zhang, Y.X., & Gao, J. (2004). Cue detection and inhibition control in prospective memory: Evidence from semantic negative priming. Presented at the 28^th International Congress of Psychology. Beijing, China

Zhang, Y. X., Li, J., Gao, J. & Shu, H. (2002). Prospective memory, cue detection, inhibition control. Presented at the Annual Report of General Psychology and Experimental Psychology Committee. Chang Hun, Jilin, China.