Final answer:
Ebbinghaus's experiment on memory retention over time supported the principle of recency by showing that information is forgotten quickly initially, with 50% lost in 20 minutes and 70% in 24 hours, before the rate of forgetting slows down. This result is illustrated by the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hermann Ebbinghaus's experiment provided evidence for Thomas Brown's principle of recency by studying memory retention over time. Ebbinghaus memorized lists of nonsense syllables and tested himself on how well he retained the information after periods ranging from 20 minutes to 30 days. The pattern of results he found can be depicted in a graph known as the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, which shows rapid memory decay shortly after learning, with about 50% of the memorized information lost after 20 minutes, and 70% lost after 24 hours. The curve then levels out, indicating that the rate of forgetting decreases over time.
This experiment supported the principle of recency which suggests that recent events are remembered better than earlier ones. Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve graph would show a steep decline in retention from the initial learning point, with the retention rate slowing as time progresses.