Ebbinghaus was a German psychologist who is considered the father of experimental memory research. He used nonsense syllables, like "DAX" or "ZOF," in his experiments because they were unfamiliar words that had no pre-existing meaning or associations. This allowed him to study how people learn and remember new information without the influence of prior knowledge.
He used these syllables to:
* Test the forgetting curve: He found that forgetting happens rapidly at first, then levels off over time.
* Examine the effects of repetition: He demonstrated that repeated exposure to information improves memory.
* Investigate the impact of spacing: He found that spaced repetition (learning material over time) is more effective than cramming.
Ebbinghaus's work with nonsense syllables revolutionized the way we understand human memory and continues to be relevant in fields such as education and cognitive psychology.