Question

Among the very first attempts to study forgetting scientifically were made by the German psychologist:

A) Wilhelm Wundt
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Hermann Ebbinghaus
D) Ivan Pavlov

Answer 1

The German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus was among the first to scientifically study forgetting by experimenting with memory decay, leading to the creation of the forgetting curve.

Step-by-step explanation:

The German psychologist credited with being among the first to study forgetting scientifically was Hermann Ebbinghaus. In 1885, Ebbinghaus began experiments on the memorization of nonsense syllables and subsequently measured how much information he could retain over various periods, leading to the development of the famous forgetting curve. This experiment demonstrated that a significant amount of memorized information is lost very quickly after learning - up to 50% within 20 minutes and about 70% after 24 hours - illuminating the nature of memory decay.

While Wilhelm Wundt, another esteemed German psychologist, is often acknowledged as one of the founders of psychology and created the first laboratory for psychological research, his focus was more on consciousness and introspection rather than on forgetting. Sigmund Freud and Ivan Pavlov, although pivotal figures in the history of psychology, were not primarily focused on the scientific study of forgetting as Ebbinghaus was.