A detection method for an electromechanical brake booster. The method includes: ascertaining, while both a driver braking force is transferred to an input element and a motor force is transferred to a support element so that a coupling element of the electromechanical brake booster which is provided downstream from the input element and the support element is also displaced at least using the motor force, whether an open intermediate gap, when the input element is present in its starting position, is closed when the coupling element is present in its starting position, and establishing an actual variable with respect to a coupling element path of the coupling element out of its coupling element starting position and/or a coupling element velocity of the coupling element in the case of an open intermediate gap using a first formula, and in the case of a closed intermediate gap using a second formula.