SHARP Lab

The SHARP Lab is led by Dr. Amanda Sharples (She/Her), an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto. Dr. Sharples works with undergraduate students to examine questions on intrapersonal, interpersonal, and intergroup conflict, and how wisdom can be cultivated through reflective practices. 

Mission Statement

The SHARP Lab's mission is to produce interdisciplinary research to better understand conflict and conflict resolution, with a central focus on the cultivation of wisdom. We hope to bridge scholarship and policy by connecting our work to real-world solutions.

Lab Values:

Community: We view the lab as a learning community. Knowledge is advanced through collaboration and the respectful exchange of ideas. We strive to create an inclusive environment where members feel a sense of belonging and are encouraged to bring their full identities and perspectives to their work. Kindness and inclusivity are core values in the SHARP Lab, acknowledging that how we work together impacts the quality of the research we conduct.

 Mentorship: The SHARP Lab is committed to supporting students’ intellectual and personal growth and providing clear expectations, constructive feedback, and consistent guidance. Students will have the opportunity to learn about advanced quantitative methods and methodological innovations in social and personality psychology. 

 Accountability and Integrity. A commitment to ethical and transparent research practices guides the SHARP Lab. We recognize that our work engages with sensitive topics and requires ethical integrity and transparency, and that these must be ongoing, reflective practices embedded in all stages of our research. 

Research Areas:

Pedagogy of Wisdom: This research focuses on developing pedagogical activities designed to help students cultivate wisdom. In collaboration with undergraduate students, we have developed and tested assessments and educational activities emphasizing self-reflection, meaning, and the development of character strengths.

 Post-Separation Abuse and Parental Alienation: This research examines coercive control and how it operates following separation or divorce. Ongoing work investigates different categories of parental alienating behaviours, developmental and relational outcomes in children exposed to these behaviours, and the role of narrative control in post-separation abuse.

Bicultural Identity and Student Outcomes: This research explores how conflicting cultural identities may predict student well-being and academic outcomes. Outcomes of interest include mental health, wisdom, subjective experiences of academic success, and objective academic performance. 

More details on these projects may be found under the research tab above.

Land Acknowledgement and Commitment to Action:

We would like to acknowledge this sacred land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

 Acknowledging the land is only a first step. Reconciliation requires ongoing action. As members of the University of Toronto community, we must reflect on our responsibility to incorporate practices in education and research that support Indigenous students and align with Indigenous ways of knowing. These may involve practices that focus on learning as relational, experiential, and grounded in supporting communities. In addition to our commitments to Indigenous Peoples, we acknowledge the importance of inclusive learning spaces that support students from other historically marginalized communities, recognizing that equity requires ongoing attention to structural barriers while also respecting the distinct histories of communities and individuals.