number go up. reward neurotransmitters become activated. existential horror recedes
idk what a skinner's box is
I'm just assuming it's a fancy way to say "click on things without any actual gameplay"
The other explainer didn't include the most important part: the rats kept clicking when the food didn't come out. Skinner found out the best way to keep the rat clicking the bar wasn't to give the rat food every time. It was to give the rat food randomly. With no pattern. This kept the rat clicking longest.
Slot machines mastered this technique long ago, and video games hired from them extensively. When playing a slot machine properly, you go into a state of flow where everything is pleasurable. Hardcore players actually hate winning jackpots because it disrupts the flow while the payoff happens.
Damn near every online game made in the past 15 years is a glorified Skinner's box (and some single player shit, too)
