The Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance

Spects start off nervous about not playing well. They need support to feel more assured. When they do something (even something small) it helps to reward them. Spects tend to repeat behaviors that get rewarded. The reward is known as a stroke.

A stroke is a simple positive response—a smile, a nod, eye contact, a word like “good” or “nice”—anything that makes spects feel good. Over-stroking with exaggerated enthusiasm comes across as patronizing. The key is subtlety and immediacy. Give a simple response that makes spects feel appreciated right after the desired behavior. Done well, spects won’t even notice a stroke. It rewards them at the subconscious level.

Strokes are like training wheels. They help spects grow in confidence. Once they’re rolling along, the training wheels can come off. When spects feel like they’re “doing it right,” it causes them to repeat desired behaviors and play with more assurance.