The Center for Strategic and International Studies published a report titled BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AND THE "BUFFY PARADIGM". I didn’t follow the Buffy series religiously but this is a very interesting read wherein the authors use gimmicks from the show to illustrate how a war on terror should be fought.
If this is the "Buffy paradigm", the "Buffy syndrome" is different. The characters in Buffy constantly try to create unrealistic plans and models, and live in a world where they never really face the level of uncertainty they must deal with. They do not live in a world of total denial, but they do seek predictability and certainty to a degree that never corresponds to the problems they face. In short, they behave as if they could create and live with the kind of strategy and doctrine that is typically developed by the US joint chiefs, could develop and implement an NSC decision memorandum, or solve their problems with the equivalent of a Quadrennial Defense Review.