Becoming an American consumer: A cross cultural study of consumer acculturation among Taiwanese, Taiwanese in the United States and Americans

In today's global community, the maintenance of a single culture in isolation is virtually impossible. When cultural groups interact with one another, the process of acculturation occurs. Acculturation process is therefore considered as the change in attitudes, values, and behaviors of members of one cultural group toward the standard of the other cultural group. Various disciplines (e.g., anthropology, psychology, sociology, and psychiatry) concentrate on different aspects of the acculturation process (e.g., cultural descriptions, attitude and behavior change, maladjustments and social problems, and mental health). However, very few researchers have studied the process of acculturation in conjunction with consumer behavior. This dissertation examines the acculturation process of Chinese subculture in the United States and the subsequent adoption of American consumption styles. Specifically, this study investigates the impact of direct versus indirect acculturating agents as evidenced in consumer behavior. In addition, the traditional model of linear progression type of acculturation process is challenged.;A survey type of research design using self-administered questionnaires was used in the study. Three groups of college students participated in the study (i.e., Taiwanese in Taiwan, Taiwanese residents in the U.S., and Americans). Each group consisted of a convenience sample of approximately 200 participants. Taiwanese in Taiwan responded to a Chinese version of the questionnaire, and the other two groups responded to English questionnaires. Translation and back-translation were used in questionnaire construction. Acculturation levels were measured by respondents' length of stay in the U.S., their social acculturation and media acculturation. Three sets of consumption outcome measures were perception of consumption reality, consumption orientations, and consumption motivations in product brand selection. Results indicated that types of acculturation contact influence the consumption styles of the acculturating Taiwanese. Furthermore, the process of consumer acculturation exhibited patterns that are not linear and very much product situation dependent. Future research directions are suggested.