Need help. Reality check with expectation effect problem?

I'm understand the general idea of reality checks but, I'm confused with one thing. We experience the phenomenon of the expectation effect in dreams. I had a dream with high awareness where I realize it was a dream and did my reality check of counting my fingers. I counted 10 finger, then i decided that i want to confirm its a dream so i shifted my expectation to counting 12 fingers and i did. Since then, i do my reality check with the expectation of counting 12 fingers. Am I setting myself for failure by using the expectation effect or should this make the reality check more consistent? I haven't had a lucid dream since I modified my reality check but I am a beginner. Any help is much appreciated.

You shouldn't expect any outcome. But definitelly don't expect correct count and shape and color. It's a dream, you could have any number and any shape or form.

All the way while you count, be amazed at the possibilities what could happen. Let yourself be surprised. And even after you confirm everything looks correct, don't acknowledge it. Don't pay attention to it. Just skip it. Don't say, "oh, it's OK, I'm not dreaming". Don't sigh with relief. Just continue with feeling that this could be a dream and if you use mantras do your mantra. For ex. "next time I'm dreaming, I look at my hands and realize I'm dreaming".

This will get easier once you'll experience this in a LD. Just as an example, I have had any different number of fingers, mostly more than 5 on one hand. Sometimes they looked like a gecko, grey and shriveld, fingers growing at odd angles and from odd places, freekishly long...

If I may suggest, do more than just one RC. It's always good to do 2-3 of them.
1. try to push your thumb through palm of the other hand. Expect it to go through.
2. think "if this was a dream, I would levitate". Push yourself off very gently and see if you take off. Imagine, how it would feel and ow happy you would be floating to the ceiling.
3. pinch your nose shut and expect to be able to breathe.

You can do all of them at the same time. Just alway expect them to work.

Then this expectation will start showing in your RCs in your dreams and if you dreaming, RC will work and confirm that you dreaming.

Yeah like Gab says, try more than one RC.
After counting your fingers try the nose pinch.
In my experience pinching your nose and trying to breath through it is by far the most reliable RC there is!