OP, maybe you know the term "Pavlov's dog"? The characters you described behave exactly like Pavlov's dogs. A dog is governed by instincts, but a human differs from animals by having a mind that God has given him in order for man to use it... If a person's behavior is guided by instincts, the question arises about his mental state. And there is nothing new in this article. Pavlov discovered the conditioned reflex probably 150 years ago...