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Using the Contributions of Hermann Ebbinghaus to Improve Your Memory

16 February, 2016 - 09:24

Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850–1909) was a pioneer of the study of memory. In this section we consider three of his most important findings, each of which can help you improve your memory. In his research, in which he was the only research participant, Ebbinghaus practiced memorizing lists of nonsense syllables, such as the following:

DIF, LAJ, LEQ, MUV,WYC, DAL, SEN, KEP, NUD

You can imagine that because the material that he was trying to learn was not at all meaningful, it was not easy to do. Ebbinghaus plotted how many of the syllables he could remember against the time that had elapsed since he had studied them. He discovered an important principle of memory: Memory decays rapidly at first, but the amount of decay levels off with time (Figure 8.9). Although Ebbinghaus looked at forgetting after days had elapsed, the same effect occurs on longer and shorter time scales. Bahrick (1984) 1 found that students who took a Spanish language course forgot about one half of the vocabulary that they had learned within three years, but that after that time their memory remained pretty much constant. Forgetting also drops off quickly on a shorter time frame. This suggests that you should try to review the material that you have already studied right before you take a n exam; that way, you will be more likely to remember the material during the exam.

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Figure 8.9
Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve Hermann Ebbinghaus found that memory for information drops off rapidly at first but then levels off after time. 
 

Ebbinghaus also discovered another important principle of learning, known as the spacing effect. The spacing effect refers to thefact that learning is better when thesameamount of studyis spread out over periodsof timethan it is when itoccurs closer together orat thesametime. This means that even if you have only a limited amount of time to study, you’ll learn more if you study continually throughout the semester (a little bit every day is best) than if you wait to cram at the last minute before your exam (Figure 8.10). Another good strategy is to study and then wait as long as you can before you forget the material. Then review the information and again wait as long as you can before you forget it. (This probably will be a longer period of time than the first time.) Repeat and repeat again. The spacing effect is usually considered in terms of the difference between distributed practice(practice that is spread out over time) and massed practice(practice that comes in one block), with the former approach producing better memory.

Figure 8.10 Effects of Massed Versus Distributed Practice on Learning
The spacing effect refers to the fact that memory is better when it is distributedrather than massed. Leslie, Lee Ann, and Nora all studied for four hours total, but the students who spread out their learning into smaller study sessions did better on the exam.
 

Ebbinghaus also considered the role of overlearning—that is, continuing to practice and study even when we think that we have mastered the material. Ebbinghaus and other researchers have found that overlearning helps encoding (Driskell, Willis, & Copper, 1992). 2 Students frequently think that they have already mastered the material but then discover when they get to the exam that they have not. The point is clear: Try to keep studying and reviewing, even if you think you already know all the material.