Mike began studying for his exam the night before the test, reading his textbook chapter for the first time. Ebbinghaus would predict that:
A)Mike would rapidly forget most of the material that he read.
B)Mike would remember most of the new material for several months, then rapidly forget most of it.
C)Mike would gradually forget the new material over a period of several months.
D)Mike's memory of the new material would remain remarkably stable for a lengthy period of time.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Ebbinghaus' forgetting curve, people tend to rapidly forget newly learned information if they do not actively review and reinforce it over time. Since Mike only studied the material once and did not engage in further review or practice, it is likely that he would rapidly forget most of it, as predicted by option A. Option B is incorrect because the curve suggests that forgetting happens more quickly at first and then levels off over time. Option C is also incorrect because it suggests a gradual rate of forgetting, while the curve predicts a more rapid decline. Option D is incorrect because memory decay is an inevitable part of the forgetting curve, even for stable memories.

Mike Began Studying for His Exam the Night Before the Test