Birth and Background

Hermann Ebbinghaus was born on January 24, 1850, in Barmen, Germany and was inspired by the works of Gustav Fechner

Influence of Gustav Fechner

Elements of Psychophysics

Ebbinghaus was inspired by Gustav Fechner's "Elements of Psychophysics" in his pursuit of studying memory

Beginning of Memory Experiments

In 1878, Ebbinghaus began conducting systematic memory experiments on himself

Establishment of Experimental Psychology

Ebbinghaus was instrumental in establishing experimental psychology as a scientific discipline

Co-founding of "Zeitschrift für Psychologie und Physiologie der Sinnesorgane"

Ebbinghaus co-founded the "Zeitschrift für Psychologie und Physiologie der Sinnesorgane" (Journal of Psychology and Physiology of the Sense Organs)

Academic Positions

Ebbinghaus held academic posts at the University of Berlin, the University of Breslau, and the University of Halle

Use of Nonsense Syllables

Ebbinghaus used over 2,300 nonsensical syllables to control for prior knowledge and semantic associations in his memory experiments

Discovery of the Forgetting Curve

Ebbinghaus's research led to the discovery of the forgetting curve, which shows the decline in memory retention over time

Learning Curve and Spaced Repetition Technique

Ebbinghaus also examined the learning curve and provided empirical support for the spaced repetition technique, which enhances memory consolidation and retention over time

Savings in Relearning

Ebbinghaus introduced the concept of "savings" in relearning, indicating that previously learned information is easier to reacquire

Involuntary and Voluntary Memory

Ebbinghaus distinguished between involuntary and voluntary memory

Serial Position Effect

Ebbinghaus described the serial position effect, which explains why items at the beginning and end of a list are more likely to be remembered