Curve of Forgetting

The Curve of Forgetting, developed by psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, illustrates how our ability to recall information diminishes over time if we don't review or reinforce it. After learning new material, our memory strength begins to decline rapidly, but this decline slows with repeated review. Essentially, without revisiting what we've learned, much of the information can be lost within days or weeks. To improve long-term retention, spaced repetition—reviewing material at increasing intervals—helps counteract the natural curve and reinforces memory over time.