>*3. I am not sure what you mean by learning.* By learning it can literaly imply anything that involves primary stuttering, like: * Trial and Error Learning * Experiential Learning * Phonological error Learning * Error detection/ignoring learning * Observational Learning * Habituation * Learning initiating speech plans * Learning to break the vicious cycle * Implicit learning * Feedforward mechanism learning * Neuroplasticity and Experience-Dependent Learning * Error Detection and Correction Learning * Imitation and Modeling * Reinforcement learning * Associative learning * Speech motor learning * Unlearning classical or **operant conditioning** In my opinion: For example, some stuttering hypotheses might attribute the primary symptom of stuttering to be more likely to result from **Operant Conditioning** than from **Classical Conditioning**, particularly referring to the poorly fine-tuning of the execution threshold to release speech plans, that decides whether we say our thoughts out loud. The thing about striatal synaptic dopamine is that dopamine might play a crucial role in **operant conditioning** (where the speaker evaluates his own speech performance or listener's reactions positively or negatively - punishing or rewarding). For example, if we would learn to perceive anticipation of listener's reactions as more positive than they actually are (so, more rewarding), then it dampens our sensitivity so that the rises in synaptic dopamine are no longer so rewarding (pleasurable) and the falls are no longer so punishing. Whereas if we would continue perceiving such anticipation as a negative emotional experience of stuttering, then it could be described as an event that was less rewarding than predicted, thereby reducing dopamine release and weakening the motor program for the intended speech sequence that failed. On the other hand, **classical conditioning** occurs simply when two stimuli occur at the same time – and thus become associated with one another. **Classical conditioning** might be responsible for the gradual generalisation of stimuli that can elicit blocks as the stutter develops. The point is, I believe that each theory/hypothesis has their own take on the "learning mechanism" that plays a role in primary stuttering. It might therefore be recommended for you to also take a stance on this matter