I'll try to explain it more simply. When I learned speech techniques in therapy, the novelty of learning something new helped me speak more fluently, at least initially. If I trusted the technique and believed it worked, my fluency could be maintained. But if I lost confidence in the technique, the stuttering would return. This is how I would put it into a model: In this process, the neutral stimulus (NS) would be saying words to someone. The unconditioned stimulus (US) is the novelty or newness of the technique. This triggers an unconditioned response (UR): a natural reaction where the dopamine release makes it easier to speak, leading to approach behavior. Eventually, if the novelty wears off, the stimulus (saying words) becomes conditioned. It becomes linked with positive feelings (increased fluency) if we continue to trust the technique. But if something disrupts that, like doubt, the same stimulus (saying words) can lead to avoidance behavior i.e. avoidance of the initial planned words/sounds, making speaking more difficult in the future. Here’s another example: Saying our own name is important (NS). But if we fear saying it wrong or being misunderstood (US: fear), it leads to avoidance behavior (UR), making it harder to say the name. Over time, this fear becomes a conditioned response (CR), where we try to avoid saying it poorly, which can worsen the stuttering. I've explained this more in detail [here ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stutter/comments/1h28cw2/lets_all_discuss_what_are_your_thoughts_what_is/)but it may be too difficult to understand for people not familiar with the psychological frameworks. I found a more accessible website that explains it in simpler terms [here](https://drive.uqu.edu.sa/_/masaidahmed/files/psycho/lec_05_learning.pdf)