Hermann Ebbinghaus

The prominent psychologist Edward Titchener expressed the value that Hermann Ebbinghaus played in experimental psychology while giving his eulogy, saying, As I approach the topic of this lecture, what is uppermost in my mind is a sense of irreparable loss. When the cable brought the bad news, last February, that Ebbinghaus was dead… the feeling that took precedence even of personal sorrow was the wonder of what experimental psychology would do without him. (Hoffman & Bamberg, 2005) Fortunately, experimental psychology survived the death of Ebbinghaus, aided by the strong foundation, objectivity, and research that he laid down. Ebbinghaus meticulously studied the subject of memory, using strict, rigorous methods. The work that he completed expanded the breadth of human knowledge, as well as the reach of psychological studies. Not a great deal is known of Hermann Ebbinghaus’s younger years, although he was born on January 24th, 1850 in Barmen, Germany to a relatively wealthy family (Hoffman & Gorfein, 1987). According to the American Journal of Psychology, he attended Barmen’s gymnasium until the age of seventeen, when he went to the University of Bonn. His collegiate education…

Description and Process of Psychometric: Hermann Ebbinghaus started the scientific study of memory by publishing a book entitled Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology in 1885 ("Ebbinghaus | in Chapter 06: Memory | from Psychology: An Introduction by Russ Dewey", 2016). Ebbinghaus purposed an experiment where he decided to use himself as a subject where the experiment is closely related to short term memory recall. He presented himself with items to memorize, waited for a precise…

‘the why” was to involve a search for the neurological correlates of mental events. Titchener sought only to describe mental experience and the structure of the mind. 3. Discuss the significance of Ebbinghaus’s work to the history of psychology. Hermann Ebbinghaus research had a great impact on psychology’s history. Ebbinghaus’s work focused on learning and memory in which he systematically and experimentally described, at the moment they occurred, not after. After learning nonsense syllables…

memory. Psychologists use paired associates to measure recall. The usage of paired associates is seen as someone is learning a new language. Often times when a person is learning new vocabulary they relate the new terms to the language they already know in order to. This task is very helpful to recognize when learning new information as using paired associates to study and remember important information. The third and final task is relearning bits of information we once knew. Students also go…

2006). Though both distributed and massed practice have their limitations as well as their advantages it has been found that distributed practice is the more effective of the two because it allows for better retention of material that is being studied. The spacing effect was first identified by a psychologist by the name of Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885 when he discovered that he could memorize a 12 syllable list by studying it 68 times and the next day giving himself a refresher of seven…

If a person was asked to illustrate a physical representation of stupidity they may form the shape of an upside-down cone and write in it, “Dunce.” Success has often been correlated with knowledge, but, measuring how much knowledge someone possesses is tricky. In Charles Dickens Victorian novel, Great Expectations, Pip starts off as a young “common” boy who yearns for a higher station in life. Also yearning, in Herman Hesse’s Interwar novel, Siddhartha, is Siddhartha who leads a nomadic life in…

Natural entities holistically substantialize an explicit secular imitation that is synonymous to the inner workings of the unfastened course of reality. These various actualizations impart guidance and externalize the innate channels that connect human psyches through a mirrored version of life. In the novel, Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, the ubiquitous river is a lucid encapsulation of the spiritual progression of the eponymous character, Siddhartha, while simultaneously providing a framework…

In the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, throughout the entire book Siddhartha is taking a journey to what he thinks would help him find enlightenment, peace, wisdom, and knowledge. Siddhartha is taking this journey because he is in denial of his Brahmin heritage, and the teachings of Gotama, which his father gave to him, he feels like there is nothing more Gotama teachings can offer him to reach enlightenment. Wisdom and knowledge are two of the most topics brought up in “SIddhartha By Hermann…

The Samanas are wandering ascetics who have given up every possession they own to find some type of enlightenment. The Samanas are organized beggars, who are barely clothed, and are perceived as holy men. While Siddhartha is with the Samanas his goal is to “to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure, and sorrow--- to let the self-die” (Hermann Hesse, 14). Although, Siddhartha did learn ways of losing the self with the Samanas, the self always came back. Siddhartha…

Silent Teacher Teachers do not always need to have a voice to direct actions and expound intelligence. In the novel Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, the river serves as a guide that assists Siddhartha on his path to enlightenment. Throughout the book, the river represents something in the outside world that makes Siddhartha grow, but also separate him. By separating Siddhartha’s life into the new Siddhartha and the old, the river shows the growth and change that Siddhartha experiences throughout…