This thesis studies the generalization ability of machine learning algorithms in a statistical setting. It focuses on the data-dependent analysis of the generalization performance of learning algorithms in order to make full use of the potential of the actual training sample from which these algorithms learn.¶ First, we propose an extension of the standard framework for the derivation of generalization bounds for algorithms taking their hypotheses from random classes of functions. ... ¶ Second, we study in more detail generalization bounds for a specific algorithm which is of central importance in learning theory, namely the Empirical Risk Minimization algorithm (ERM). ...