Hermann Ebbinghaus was a German psychologist and a pioneer in the field of memory research. For this assignment, you will replicate one of his most famous experiments. Just like Ebbinghaus, you will create your own nonsense syllables, memorize them, and then test your memory at different points in time. This assignment will serve two purposes: (1) It will provide you with the experience of conducting your own simple psychology experiment, and (2) it will allow you to see how strong your memory really is.
In order to complete the assignment and receive full credit, please follow these steps:
1. Create THREE separate lists of TEN "nonsense syllables" each. Examples of nonsense syllables include "Bof," "Gik," and "Fex."
2. Memorize each of these lists of nonsense syllables. You should be able to name each syllable in one sitting without looking. For each list, record the number of trials it took to learn all of the syllables (i.e., the number of times you went through the list before you could name them all).
3. ONE HOUR LATER, test your memory of the first list only. Record the number of trials it took to re-learn all of the syllables from the first list (i.e., the number of times you had to rehearse the list until you were able to recall them all 100% from memory). Using the savings equation discussed in lecture and recitation, calculate the time that you "saved."
4. TWO HOURS LATER, test your memory of the second list only. Record the number of trials it took to re-learn all of the syllables from the second list and calculate your time saved.
5. THREE HOURS LATER, test your memory of the third list only. Record the number of trials it took to re-learn all of the syllables from the third list and calculate your time saved.
6. On a separate piece of paper, type up your three lists of nonsense syllables as well as your savings equation results from each time period. Additionally, write a short paragraph explaining the results and what you think they say about your memory.