Question

3. Make up an example using some numbers to show that you understand how Ebbinghaus used the method of savings in his memory research.

Answer 1

Hermann Ebbinghaus is known for his work on Serial Position effect which states that a person will be best in recalling the content placed at the beginning or the end of the series. This effect includes two important concepts:

1. Recency effect : It highlights that the items ( here number) presented at the end of the series will be recalled best as compared to the items in the middle of the series.

2. Primacy effect: It states that the items presented in the beginning of the series which will be recalled best as compared to the items presented in the middle of the series.

For example: In the series of number say 9 8 7 3 6 7 2 1 0 9 according to serial position effect, the number 9 8 will be recalled best ( PRIMACY EFFECT) and 0 9 will be recalled best ( RECENCY EFFECT) as compared to the rest of the numbers in the series.