John--
While I would hesitate to call myself a "sufferer" I do remember
only a few short years ago struggling to catch on to the grid procedure.
Fortunately, I surrounded myself with some good books and keen advice
(much as you are doing now, I'd guess). This helped.
To be proficient would require a year, or even more. To be able
to do it well enough for a thesis may not take quite as long. I have done
several decent studies using the grid, and I am sure that if you added my
experience up, it wouldn't amount to a year at all.
To help you gain experience, it is really important to test
yourself on the grid. Try this at least 5 or 6 times, with different
elements. I would also recommend grabbing a friend or two, and running
them through the procedure over dinner or something. The more you do this
before your actual experiment, the better off you are.
Of course, if you need further direction or support, write us
again.
best,
-- Robb
Dept. of Ed. Psyc.
Univ. of Calgary
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