1. What is the shape of Ebbinghaus’s Classic forgetting curve, and what does it tell us about memory?
Ebbinghaus’s Classic forgetting curve is shaped like a curved letter L (T. Hanson. Brain and Behavior). It tells us that the sooner we rehearse new information after learning it, the better the likelihood that we will remember it. However, the more time that passes, the less able we will be to remember all of the information and it only takes a few minutes for much of the information to become unavailable to us. However, Ebbinghaus studied the retention of meaningless nonsense, when we memorize more meaningful information we don’t forget it as fast or forget as much of it (King L.A., 230)
2. What is meant by learned helplessness? What are its consequences?
Learned helplessness, is where a person or animal comes to believe that no matter what they do, they cannot prevail or avoid negative circumstances in a given situation (King L.A. 182). The subject comes to the conclusion that they have no power to influence the situation and that it is entirely of external locus, and therefore uncontrollable. This can either be due to a controlled experiment as in the case of Martin Seligman and his …show more content…
I have always been interested in a person’s motivations for any given action, especially if they are violent or deviant. Additionally, why a person would choose to allow negative circumstances in life to happen to them rather than taking enough self-interest to positively affect their lives. I see this often with my teenage children, they will complain about a circumstance, for instance, my daughter will complain that there are spiders in her room. However, she will not keep her room clean and vacuumed, and allows clutter to pile up in the corners, even though I have told her multiple times that these are the conditions that attract
Ebbinghaus’s Classic forgetting curve is shaped like a curved letter L (T. Hanson. Brain and Behavior). It tells us that the sooner we rehearse new information after learning it, the better the likelihood that we will remember it. However, the more time that passes, the less able we will be to remember all of the information and it only takes a few minutes for much of the information to become unavailable to us. However, Ebbinghaus studied the retention of meaningless nonsense, when we memorize more meaningful information we don’t forget it as fast or forget as much of it (King L.A., 230)
2. What is meant by learned helplessness? What are its consequences?
Learned helplessness, is where a person or animal comes to believe that no matter what they do, they cannot prevail or avoid negative circumstances in a given situation (King L.A. 182). The subject comes to the conclusion that they have no power to influence the situation and that it is entirely of external locus, and therefore uncontrollable. This can either be due to a controlled experiment as in the case of Martin Seligman and his …show more content…
I have always been interested in a person’s motivations for any given action, especially if they are violent or deviant. Additionally, why a person would choose to allow negative circumstances in life to happen to them rather than taking enough self-interest to positively affect their lives. I see this often with my teenage children, they will complain about a circumstance, for instance, my daughter will complain that there are spiders in her room. However, she will not keep her room clean and vacuumed, and allows clutter to pile up in the corners, even though I have told her multiple times that these are the conditions that attract