"Positive reinforcement helps breed positive behavior": Moderator Perspectives on Encouraging Desirable Behavior

Survey of 115 Reddit moderators building taxonomies of the behavior moderators want to encourage and the actions they take to encourage it. Moderators most often want to promote prosocial behavior, engagement, and staying on topic, reinforcing these through upvotes, replies, and queue approvals — actions that are largely anonymous, so recipients rarely know the feedback comes from moderators.