From another thread: When I joined the Army, all the targets we used in handgun training were human shaped. It's called predictive programming and is a type of psychological conditioning. It's very well know to influence reactionary impuses on the battlefield. No time to ask, "Do I kill this person or not?" You just do it.

The Army recognizes the power of conditioning and has released a video game called America's Army, where you go through a virtual basic combat training course. When new recruits get to basic training, they have already "been there and done that" which makes the transition from civilian to soldier easier.

Predictive programming and conditioning works poorly on people who have trained themselves to ignore it, or simply have problems accepting someone else's authority over their lives. I fall into that category, which made me a VERY BAD soldier.

Many many soldiers I know are still conditioned YEARS after getting out. They're the ones you see wearing the ballcaps that say "Nam Vet" or "First Sergeant (Retired)".