This MRCPsych revision episode explores how fear spreads and persists within learning theory, a core topic for psychiatry trainees preparing for the membership examination.

Topics include generalisation and discrimination, primary and secondary reinforcement, incubation of fear, and stimulus preparedness as described in behavioural psychology.

These mechanisms are central to understanding phobias, anxiety disorders, and maintenance of symptoms, and are frequently examined.

This episode maps directly to paragraph 1.1.1 of the Royal College of Psychiatrists membership examination (MRCPysch) syllabus.

This episode covers classical conditioning, operant conditioning and reinforcement schedules for MRCPsych Part A examination revision.

You will review Pavlov’s experiments of classical conditioning, understand Skinner’s model of operant learning and conditioning, and master reinforcement, punishment, and reinforcement schedules, including variable ratio and fixed interval patterns.

These core behavioural psychology principles underpin anxiety disorders, behavioural therapy, and many single best answer questions in the MRCPsych Part A examination.

This episode maps directly to paragraph 1.1.1 of the Royal College of Psychiatrists membership examination (MRCPysch) syllabus.