I am a bit confused about the application of reality checks and what they "prove" in a dream.

For instance, the first time I had heard of reality checks someone suggested clapping so throughout the day I would clap, hear the clap, feel myself clapping and acknowledge I was awake. That night during a dream I realized I might be dreaming, clapped and had the visceral experience of clapping which led to me believing I was awake. Whenever I would do or see something strange I would resist and tell myself I had to be awake because the RC worked. I felt like I was questioning whether I was awake or dreaming too much in the dream and that just completely brought me out of it.

I interpret RCs to be something that convinces you you're awake and when they fail you realize you're dreaming. Any help would be great!