[Ohiogift] Research on the Social Needs of the Gifted

[Striley, Catherine]

Dear Ohio Gifted Community, 

I am a graduate student at Ohio University conducting my dissertation research on the social experiences of the gifted.  I am looking to recruit intellectually gifted adolescents ages 11-18 to keep a journal of their social experiences for a month.  I am particularly interested in their experiences of social exclusion (like ostracism, bullying, teasing, etc.) and social inclusion.  

Participants will be asked to do two things: (1) Keep a journal about their social experiences, including every time they experiences social exclusion/inclusion, observes social exclusion/inclusion, or socially excludes/includes others.  Participants will write  journals on a website designed specifically for this study and only my adviser and I will have access to their journals.  (2) Participate in a phone interview where I will ask clarifying questions about their journal entries at the end of the project.  All participant information is confidential, and participants will be given ID numbers for the study.  This project has been approved by the Ohio University IRB.  For more information about the study or participant privacy, feel free to visit the study website at: projectexperience.strileyconsulting.com.

Here is a little information about me: As a child, I was labeled gifted and participated in gifted programs in my school.  I understand that helping the gifted to flourish does not just mean attending to their intellectual and academic needs, but also their social and emotional needs. 

I have been conducting research on gifted adolescents since 2007.  I have had the privilege of working on a variety of projects, including multi-million dollar quantitative and qualitative grant-funded studies, quantitative survey designs, down to small projects where I simply asked gifted adolescents to share one story with me.  I received my M.A. in Communication Studies from Missouri State University in 2009, and I am currently working towards a PhD at Ohio University.  I also have been teaching quantitative and qualitative research methods at the college level since 2009.  My research and work with adolescents has also included creating anti-bullying programs for elementary schools, training students as peer mediators, and creating conflict resolution programs and substance abuse prevention programs for middle schools and high schools.  


If you are a parent of a gifted adolescent between 11-18 and think your child would like to participate in this study, please contact me at cs210209 at ohio.edu or call me at 314-604-4298.  I'd love to answer any questions or concerns you have about this project and I am excited about the possibility of working with you and the potential this project could have for gifted children and their families.  Please feel free to pass this message along to anyone you think might be interested in the study!

Sincerely,
Katie

Katie Margavio Striley, M.A. 
Doctoral Candidate
School of Communication Studies
Ohio University
Cs210209 at ohio.edu
314-604-4298