EXPLORING THE EVERYDAY LIFE INCIDENCE OF DEJA-CONNU EXPERIENCES IN IMPRESSION-FORMATION

This study explored the everyday life incidence and nature of what we refer to as deja connu experiences, i.e., situations where a newly enc ountered individual reminds the perceiver of someone else. The data we re obtained in a survey of (250 women and 250 men) college students. T he universality of deja connu was indicated by significant differences in selection of the Very Often (9.4%), Often (25.8%), Occasionally (5 0.6%), Rarely (14.2%), and Never (0%) categories on a forced-choice it em concerning frequency of such experiences. An inverted-U hypothesis is suggested as an heuristic model to describe the relationship betwee n familiarity with any given individual and that person's ''remembered other'' referent value for the perceiver.