The Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance

There are two ways that people engage with the world. Some tend to think, others tend to feel. It’s useful to recognize which type of engagement is a person’s default mode. When you’re creating a character, it guides your behavior. When you’re playing with spects, it helps anticipate their responses. You can interact more effectively when you know how people are likely to respond.

Here are some ways to recognize thinkers and feelers.

Thinkers’ traits

• verbally articulate
• focus on details, facts, and numbers
• analytic and strategic, consider ramifications before acting
• use words like “think,” “decide,” “know,” “figure out”
• independent and self-sufficient

Ask about an event and thinkers will tell you the details of what happened. Ask about their feelings, they often respond with what they think.

“How do you feel about this painting?” “I think it demonstrates good technique.”

If you want to influence a thinker, appeal to reason and logic.

Feelers’ traits

• physically and emotionally accessible
• focus on feelings, sensations, and aesthetics
• intuitive and impulsive, act on instinct
• use words like “feel,” “sense,” “hunch”
• connected and gregarious

Ask about an event and feelers will share the sensations and impressions of what happened. Ask for their thoughts and they often respond with what they feel.

“What do you think about the court case?” “It feels like the defendant was treated unfairly.”

If you want to influence a feeler, focus on emotional impact and the feelings of others.

With all this focus on classifying people, one thing should be acknowledged. No one is ever just a thinker or just a feeler. We are all a mix of the two. However, when people play, they tend to resort to their default mode. Recognizing whether a person is a thinker or feeler comes in handy when engaging interactively.