In social psychology, the continuum model of impression formation was created by Fiske and Neuberg.
Upon categorization, individuals' responses to others are usually based on the activated emotions, cognitions, and behaviors that they associate with that social category.
[2] The continuum model's central statement dates back to 1982,[3] where Fiske proposed "schema-triggered affect" accounts for immediate evaluations made during social interactions and the effect associated with spontaneous social categorization.
[1] The core concept of the model was the contradiction between the existing literature of impression formation and social cognition.
The continuum model synthesized these two approaches by proposing that people can use a range of processes to develop an impression.
This categorization happens almost instantly and automatically, and is usually based on salient features, such as gender, age, and ethnicity.
It is important to note that if at any time the perceiver depletes their resources, they will stop the process and exit the model.
If the individual's traits are inconsistent and cannot be assimilated into the initial category, then the perceiver will continue through the model to recategorization.
It involves the perceiver trying to find a more suited category for the individual that includes the additional information.
If they fail to do so, then they move through the continuum model once again, trying to find a new, acceptable category to place the individual in.
[8] The continuum model includes both serial and parallel processing because it acknowledges in the interplay between the social perceiver and the information acquired from a target.
[5] The continuum model also shows that different features of a target shapes how it is organized into social categories.
[5] Both models have strengths in different areas but a combination of the two would move beyond the debate between which is most important, serial or parallel processing, and allow both to be used together.