Lines of Research:
In the SHARP lab, the research is grounded in the observations and lived experiences of Dr. Sharples and the students she works with. Projects often emerge from patterns we notice together in educational, family, and cultural contexts, and may be topics that have touched us personally (research is often 'me'search). These ideas are developed collaboratively to address real-world challenges. We are currently pursuing three lines of research:
The Pedagogy of Wisdom. This research examines how educational practices can support the cultivation of wisdom, meaning, and character development in students. Ongoing projects focus on:
Developing a teaching resource to publish with information about wisdom cultivating activities, assessments, and classroom practices. So far we have examined the use of reflective assessments looking at behavioural change (Project developed by independent project student Jordon Bell), mindfulness and well-being (project developed by independent project student Edwin Xu), exploratory reflection (projects developed by Yuhao Wang and Anastasia Liu), and character development through narratives of exemplars (project worked on by undergraduate researcher Alice Xi).
In a project led by an undergraduate independent project student, Anastasia Liu, we examined the intersection of culture, emerging adulthood, and reflection on wisdom, with a focus on developing educational activities to cultivate identity exploration.
Dr. Sharples is particularly interested in collective well-being and Indigenous Wisdom in Education. Drawing on the critical well-being paradigm, this work challenges individualistic, performance-driven approaches to learning by centering Indigenous relational world-views focused on belonging and community-defined flourishing (Rivera, 2026). A key goal is examining how relational pedagogies, narrative practices, and community-engaged approaches can be built into post-secondary courses to foster wisdom and well-being. Central to this work will be the collaboration with students from Indigenous and diverse cultural backgrounds to ensure that research is grounded in lived experience and aligned with Indigenous and diverse cultural understandings of wisdom and well-being.
Post-Separation Abuse and Parental Alienation. This research investigates coercive control in the context of separation and divorce, with a particular emphasis on parental alienation. Ongoing projects focus on:
Using archival data, we study the co-occurrence of parental alienating behaviours with child abuse and intimate partner violence. We are continuing with more detailed case records to see if our findings replicate and to examine more specific behaviours, signs of alienation in children, and broader developmental outcomes (mental and physical health, relational , cognitive development, etc.) that were coded and studied by an undergraduate independent project student, Hilda Lyu.
Current projects explore typologies of alienating behaviours, the development of scales to measure exposure to these behaviours in children more accurately, and associated outcomes (several projects with undergraduate students including Nicole Hupalo, Yinuo Wang, Skye Wang, Yichen Xu Khushi Singh, Youness Robert-Tahiri, and Diefei Hu, Amy Huang, Maria Welsh, and Eunseo Cho). Further development of our scale assessing these behaviours has been conducted by a former undergraduate independent project student, Skye Wang, finding interesting differences in perceptions of these behaviours across intact and separated/divorced families.
A new line of research will examine and the role of narrative control and manipulation in post-separation abuse. We will be using a mixed methods research approach (qualitative and quantitative data analysis) to provide an more nuanced undertsanding of these dynamics.
Bicultural Identity and Student Outcomes. This research explores how conflicting cultural identities shape student well-being and academic functioning. Projects examine associations between bicultural identity processes and mental health, wisdom development, academic outcomes. This work aims to identify both risk and resilience pathways for students navigating multiple cultural contexts. Much of this research has been inspired by undergraduate students and their experience, first developed and lead by undergraduate project students, Nancy Hsuing and Mishal Saeed, who explored bicultural identity and mental health and academic outcomes. Ongoing projects focus on:
We have explored micro-aggressions and mental health, unique challenges faced by bicultural students (projects developed by independent projects students, Shenglan Shi and Zetong Zhu), and international students (projects developed by independent project students Kehan Zhou and Emma Li). Current research will continue to explore these topics with the goal of improving academic environments for students navigating diverse cultural identities. Central to this work is the collaboration with students from diverse backgrounds to ensure the work is conducted ethically and grounded in the lived experiences of bicultural and international students.
I continue to do work exploring intergroup relations with a focus on relations between students. Building on my dissertation, I am interested in how various group identities and the internalization of prejudices impact how we relate to each other. I have explored this with an independent project student, Zini He, examining internalized sexism and how it impacts women and their interactions with same and cross-gender peers. I am interested in further developing research on intergroup relations and understanding the intersection of identities, again working with students from diverse backgrounds to ensure all perspectives are included when conducting and disseminating this work.
Please see publications and on-going projects listed below:
Published:
Sharples, A. E., & Chasteen, A. L. (2021). Unpacking the complexity of immigrant attitudes in Canada: Immigrant age predicts attitudes toward immigrants. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement, 53(1), 23-35. https://doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000166
Link to OSF page: OSF | Unpacking the Complexity of Attitudes Toward Immigrants
Sharples, A. E., Harman, J. J., & Lorandos, D. (2023). Findings of abuse in families affected by parental alienation. Journal of Family Violence, 1-11.
Link to OSF page: OSF | The Relationship Between Parental Alienation and Other Forms of Abuse
In progress:
Sharples, A. E., & Bell, J. Cultivating wisdom in the classroom: Activities to facilitate the development of
wisdom in psychology courses.