What is Implicit vs. explicit feedback?

When you give feedback, it can be either told out loud or shown through actions, and that’s what makes implicit vs. explicit feedback different.

Imagine you're playing a game with your friend, and you want them to know they did really well. If you say, “You won the game! Great job!”, that’s explicit feedback, because you’re clearly telling them how you feel. It's like when your teacher says, “Good work!”

But if you just smile at them or give them a high-five after the game, without saying anything, that’s implicit feedback. You're showing them you're happy, but you're not actually telling them it out loud. It's like when your mom gives you an extra cookie after dinner because she thinks you did something nice.

Explicit feedback is like a direct message, clear and easy to understand. You know exactly what someone means.

Implicit feedback, on the other hand, needs you to read between the lines or watch for actions. Sometimes it’s fun to figure out what someone is trying to say without them telling you!