As someone who lives in a neighborhood full of stop signs (just about every other street is signed), I find that it actually does exactly what you're saying, i.e. shape drivers' natural behaviors.

Almost everyone elects to drive on one of the nearby "thoroughfares" rather than stop and start all the way through the neighborhood. So I see stop signs as the perfect solution.

I'd agree this wouldn't probably work on a road that sees heavy traffic already though.