>"If it's not social fear, it likely won't trigger stuttering! " hmm.. so I don't think that "conscious social fear" is what's triggering the approach-avoidance conflict (at it's root, at its underlying psychological core). Because if we speak alone, we often don't stutter. But if we add one person (one of our parents) and we speak to them, then we might stutter dramatically. So the approach-avoidance conflict was triggered (subconsciously).. but we did not consciously feel or notice any social fear while speaking to our parents. Yet, the approach-avoidance conflict has been triggered. So obviously, our subconscious perceives "something" (i.e., some kind of fearful stimulus) as an error, or at the very least an obstacle to us to continue speaking. I think that ultimately, at the very core, this fear is indeed as you said, tailored to speak socially appropriate.. so yes, kind of a social fear in that sense, but not the "conscious kind of social anxiety" (like when we are on stage, and we feel that imminent danger).. sure that imminent danger kind of fear can be conditoined to trigger the approach-avoidance conflict, but many stutterers like me, have not really conditoined this "conscious kind of social anxiety of imminent danger". Conclusion: Whether a person who stutters - has conditioned a "conscious kind of social anxiety" or not. I think that the common denominator in all people with developmental stuttering is, that their subconscious responds to the fear of social punishment (or fear of social rejection)... Even feared words (like saying our name), even fear of negative judgements, even stutter pressure etc.. all these conditioned stimuli (that our subconscious perceive as an anticipated error to continue speaking) - are ultimately linked to the fear of social rejection (i.e., social punishment). For example: Why do we fear social pressure? answer: because we fear stuttering. but then why do we fear stuttering? Because I fear that others will judge me. But why do we fear that others will judge us? I mean, why is that reason enough for our subconscious to trigger the approach-avoidance conflict? (if you think about it, it doesn't make sense). Final answer: Because of a fear of social rejection (an innate fear that all humans are born with if you remember, the baby who starts crying if a parent walks away in response to fear of social rejection) so yes if you say that "a social fear" (but very subconscious, that we cannot feel) - triggers the approach avoidance conflict then yes indeed, I agree with you