A Skinner box is not by definition a bad thing. It's a process designed to reward a player for a desired action. The problem comes when developers use Skinner boxes as shortcuts in design instead of actually putting effort into stuff. That said, banning the Skinner box as a concept would be a horrible idea, especially for people who do enjoy games that use Skinner boxes effectively.
I disagree, the whole point of a Skinner box is to condition someone or something to react to specific stimuli to force them to output a result to either gain a reward or a consequence. This forces those conditioned to fruitlessly continue repeating tasks in the hope of a reward or optimal result.
If you think mundane and repetitive tasks are a good thing, hey that's a valid opinion on how it could be of benefit. I can also understand where you are coming from based on how such a mechanic quickly rewards players with the "I did good feels". However such a brain chemical reaction to this form of gratification is always short lived, and dulls severely over time. This will force those caught in its "conditions" to repeat actions to replicate that the initial result, just like a drug addict chasing a high.
From my perspective any use of a such a mechanic is by default
lazy and malicious. The reason is because to implement a Skinner box mechanic it has to permeate the entire game to be considered a Skinner box, as in the key feature. Micro "Skinner box" moments would not be considered as such as they will not condition a player through repetition as required by the definition of a Skinner box.
When caught inside such a box the player may have multiple and dynamic forms of information that can condition a response. This is basically a very low end of thought control to "encourage" the player to output a specific result. Without such a mechanic the player would be free to interact and make choices based on their perspective rather than to prevent a consequence or gain a reward.
I understand someone will now attempt to debate that most if not all games are a form of conditioning to get the player to achieve a specific result, I will concede that a lot of games today do indeed implement such tactics. However well designed games don't implement such a mechanic, and try their utmost to steer clear from it all together. (When I reference well designed games I'm focusing on player agency in the game world.)
In short there is no effective way to implement Skinner box mechanics in an effectively positive and non malicious way.
But hey, if people want someone else to tell them how to play a game, how to solve a puzzle, or maybe think then by all means please continue.
*Edit: I forgot to include that "Skinner box or lever box" mechanics are also not considered mentally stimulating or engaging. Here is an article that will back up my position:
https://thejellyfishstolemymoney.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/a-skinner-box-is-not-a-form-of-torture/
