• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.95-119
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• 2010

Although there have been many studies regarding the inconsistency between consumers' attitudes and behavior, prior research has almost exclusively focused on the relationship between the attitude before behavior and the initial behavior. Relatively little research has been conducted on consumer satisfaction after purchase and post-purchase behavior. This research proposed that the relationship between satisfaction and post-purchase behavior is moderated by consumers' psychological characteristics such as need for cognitive closure(NCC) and temporal self-construal(SC). The need for cognitive closure refers to individuals' desire for a firm answer to a question and an aversion toward ambiguity. We assumed the need for cognitive closure as a major moderating variable because it is judged that the requirement for cognition clearly varies between when a consumer repurchases the same product and seeks a new alternative. Individuals who tend to end cognition due to time constraints or inappropriate conditions may display considerable cognitive impatience or impulsivity and has a higher probability in repurchasing the same product than a consumer without such limitations. They would avoid further consideration for new alternatives and the likelihood of the repurchase for prior alternative would increase. As hypothesized, significant moderating effect of the NCC was confirmed. This result gives a significant implication for a corporate to establish effective marketing strategies. For a corporate or product brand that has been occupying the market after entering the market earlier, it would be effective to maintain need for cognitive closure high in the existing consumers and thereby preventing the consumers from being interested in the new alternatives. On the other hand, new brands that have just entered the market need to lower the potential consumers' need for cognitive closure so that the consumers can be interested in new alternatives. Along with need for cognitive closure, temporal self-construal also turned out to moderate the satisfaction-repurchase. temporal SC reflects the extent to which individuals view themselves either as an individuated entity or in relation to others. Consumers under a temporarily independent SC would repurchase former alternative again according to their prior satisfaction and evaluation. In contrast, consumers in temporal interdependent SC tended to switch to a new alternative because they value interpersonal relationships above anything else and have a tendency to rely heavily on in-group opinions. When they are confronted with additional opinions, it is highly probable that he/she will choose a new product as an alternative. By proving the impact that temporal self-construal has on repurchasing behavior, this study is providing the marketers with new standards for establishing successful promotional strategies. For example, if the buyer and the user is the same for a product, it would be effective for the seller to convince the consumer to make decision subjectively by encouraging temporal independent self-construal. On the contrary, in the case where the purchase is made by an individual but the product is consumed by a group of people. For example, a housewife is more likely to choose the products or brands that her husband or children prefer rather than the ones that she likes by herself. In that case, emphasizing how the whole family can be satisfied and happy about the product would be effective for promoting repurchase.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.343-364
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• 2011

This study investigated the objective and perceived level of economy and its relationship with mother's mental health, parenting behaviors, and problem behaviors in preschoolers. Data drawn from mothers and teachers of 238 preschoolers, ages 3-5, were used. Using the objective and perceived level of economy, subjects were classified into four groups. Individuals categorized as high by objective and perceived level of economy, low by objective and perceived level of economy, high by objective and low by perceived level of economy, and low by objective and high by perceived level of economy were categorized as in-agreement/high group, in-agreement/low group, over-estimator group, and under-estimator group, respectively. To investigate the difference between groups, one-way ANOVAs and post-hoc analyses were used. The results showed that in-agreement/low group and under-estimator group showed greater depression and anxiety than in-agreement/high group and over-estimator group. In addition, in-agreement/high group and over-estimator group showed greater affective parenting behaviors and lower aggressive parenting behaviors than in-agreement/low group and under-estimator group. In terms of internalizing problem behavior by mother, in-agreement/high group and over-estimator group were lower than under-estimator group. In terms of externalizing problem behavior by mother, in-agreement/high group was lower than under-estimator group. However, in terms of internalizing and externalizing problem behavior by teacher, there was no difference between groups. In externalizing problem behavior by teacher, in-agreement/low group was lower than over-estimator group.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.81-113
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• 2011

This study investigates leisure activity, involvement and self-concept in cyberspace of various age groups of adolescents. A total of 1,388 students (elementary school=337, middle school=326, high school=361, university=364, consisting of 696 male and 692 female) participated in the study. The results are as follows. First, although the vast majority of adolescents (96.9%) had a computer at home, majority of adolescents visited Internet cafe. Second, 70.3% of adolescents visited Internet cafe to play Internet games, followed by engaging in information search, chatting, and participated in cyber community. Third, on average adolescents spent 5.43 hours per week playing Internet games, with more males playing Internet games than female adolescents. As for information search, the weekly average was 2.60 hours, with university students spending more time than the other groups. As for chatting, the weekly average was 1.69 hours, with no significant differences among the groups. The weekly average of Internet use was 9.65 hours, with older groups spending more time. The weekly average use of computer was 10.91 hours, with older groups spending more time and more males using more computer than females. Fourth, as for self-concept in cyberspace, elementary and middle school students reported that they had fun, while high school and university students reported that they were the same as in the regular daily life. In addition, adolescents reported that they spent leisure activity in cyberspace and they become a fictional character in cyberspace. Fifth, when they played Internet games, regardless of age and gender, adolescents reported that they had fun, followed by that they were absorbed, that they became aggressive, and that they were the same as in the regular daily life. Sixth, when they chatted on Internet, regardless of age and gender, adolescents reported that they had fun, followed by that they were not interested, that they were the same as in the regular daily life, and that they do not chat on Internet. Seventh, when they interacted with their friends on Internet, regardless of age and gender, majority of adolescents reported that they had fun, followed by that they conversed, that they were the same as in the regular daily life, and that they felt closer. These results indicate that Korean adolescents view Internet as a place to spend their leisure time and that they enjoyed spending time on Internet.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.301-327
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• 2012

This study investigated body images based on the survey data drawn from college students in three East Asian countries(Korea, Japan, and China). 347 Korean, 341 Chinese, and 271 Japanese college students responded to questions designed to measure body images such as body-related values (operability, inclination, locus of evaluation, and instrumentality of appearance), body esteem (appearance, and health), and objectified body-consciousness ( surveillance and shame). The results showed that body images differ among countries. Regarding body-related values, Korean students have least conservative beliefs and followed by Japanese, and Chinese. Korean students showed the highest acceptance level for the voluntary body alteration(operability), highest inclination to body appearance over health. They also showed the strongest tendency of evaluating their body from the observer's point of view and the strongest belief about the social utility of body appearance compare to Japanese and Chinese students. Appearance- esteem of Korean was similar to Chinese but higher than Japanese. Surveillance and shame about body appearance of Korean students were similar to Japanese but higher than Chinese. Compare to male students, females showed stronger belief about the body appearance over health, lower appearance esteem, and higher surveillance and shame about body. Korean women showed the least conservative body-related values, and the levels of body appearance esteem and objectified body consciousness were located in between Japanese and Chinese women. Japanese women showed especially low body appearance esteem and highest surveillance and shame. Chinese women showed the most conservative body-related value, the highest appearance-esteem, and the lowest surveillance and shame. It was revealed that the body-related values indirectly affect to appearance-esteem through the mediating role of objectified body consciousness in Chinese and Japanese samples, but that the body-related values had direct effect on appearance-esteem as well in Korean sample.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.285-318
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• 2013

The purpose of this research is to examine the self-concept in the cyberspace, self-efficacy, relationship with friends, subjective well-being and academic grade among adolescents who are addicted to Internet and those who are not addicted to Internet. A total of 1,057 adolescents (male=545, female=512), 326 from middle school, 361 from high school, and 370 from special education school, participated in the study. The results are as follows. First, qualitative analysis of the conception of self in the cyberspace indicates that those adolescents addicted to Internet reported that in the cyberspace they have fun, followed by they are the same as in real life, they spend time in cyberspace and they can become an imaginary person. Those adolescents not addicted to Internet reported that in the cyberspace they are the same as in real life, followed by they spend time in cyberspace and they can become an imaginary person. When they play Internet games, majority of adolescents in both groups reported that it is fun, followed by they become engrossed and they become aggressive. Second, those adolescents who are not addicted to Internet had higher scores on self-efficacy than those adolescents who are addicted to Internet, including self-regulatory efficacy for learning, relational efficacy, and resiliency of efficacy. Third, the number of friends and close friends that adolescents who are not addicted to Internet were not significantly different from those adolescents who are addicted to Internet. However, those adolescents who are not addicted to Internet were more likely receive social support from friends and were less likely to be social excluded than those adolescents who are addicted to Internet. Fourth, those adolescents who are not addicted to Internet had significantly higher scores on subjective well-being than those adolescents who are addicted to Internet. Fifth, those adolescents who are not addicted to Internet had significantly higher scores on both subjective and objective academic grade than those adolescents who are addicted to Internet.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.505-532
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among the growth period wounds, inferiority complex and personality disorder of teenaged students, which affected their mental health. The subjects in this study were 2,110 secondary students. After a survey was conducted, the collected data were analyzed. Whether there would be any differences among the adolescents in those factors were analyzed, and multiple regression analysis and path analysis were carried out. As a result, there were relatively more significant problems with the growth period wounds, inferiority complex, personality disorder and mental health of the students who were girls, who were high schoolers, whose household economy was more vulnerable and whose academic standing was lower. The growth period wound that exerted the largest significant influence on inferiority complex was happiness, followed by wound of security and wound of recognition, and the growth period wound that had the greatest significant impact on personality disorder was happiness, followed by wound of security, wound of confidence, wound of love and wound of equity. The growth period wound that exercised the biggest influence on mental health was happiness, followed by wound of security, wound of confidence, wound of love and wound of equity. As for the influence of the variables related to mental health, the indirect effects of the growth period wounds through personality disorder and inferiority complex were greater than their direct effects. The findings of the study suggest that growth period wounds are likely to lead to inferiority complex and personality disorder and ultimately to the injury of mental health, and indicate the importance of healthy family environments and of educational environments in the growth period.and mental health was analyzed, there was a statistically significant positive(+) correlation among all the variables. Third, the wound factors related to happiness and stability were identified as the factors that affected inferiority complex among the growth period wound factors. Personality disorder was found to be under the influence of the wound factors related to happiness, stability, love, confidence and a sense of equality in the growth period, and mental health was found to be affected by the wound factors related to happiness, stability, confidence, love and a sense of equality. Fourth, the growth period wounds had a direct impact on mental health, and inferiority complex played a significant mediating role at that time. Every subfactor of personality disorder also produced significant mediating effects except the wound factor of pride. The above-mentioned findings suggest that every possible effort should be made to let secondary students get hurt less to promote their mental health and resolve their mental health problems, and that professional counseling intervention and institutional assistance are required to help them to remove their inferiority complex and personality disorder.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.187-205
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• 2009

Based on the Motivational States Theory(MOST), the present research expanded and complemented Kim(2007)'s proposal to add the Life Satisfaction Expectancy Scale(LSES) to Diener et al's Satisfaction With Life Scale(SWLS) to measure subjective well-being(SWB). In the present study, the Life Satisfaction Motivation Scale(LSMS) was introduced to measure the strength of motivation for life satisfaction in general. Two hundred and eighty six college students participated in this study. Factor analyses revealed a two-factor structure, with the factors corresponding to life satisfaction and life satisfaction expectancy. Measures of internal and temporal reliability show the LSMS to be a good complement for the measure of SWB(The LSMS showed high internal and test-retest reliability). It was found that the addition of the LSES provided a significant increment in predictive power over the SWLS in the prediction of various factors related with well-being prediction. Exceptionally, in the prediction of anger the LSMS had the most predictive power. There were some differences between male and female students in the correlations among life satisfaction, life satisfaction expectancy and life satisfaction motivation and well-being-related factors. The merits of including LSES in the measurement of subjective well-being and the limitations of this study are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.385-422
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• 2010

This study examines adolescent delinquent behavior and the influence of friends, focusing specifically on friends' delinquent behavior and the influence of self-efficacy, parent-child conflict and parental control. A total of 1,399 adolescents attending five different high schools (male=642, female=756, consisting of 915 student attending high school and 484 students attending vocational high school) completed a questionnaire developed by Ahn, Hwang, Kim and Park (1997) and Bandura's (1995a) self-efficacy scale. Results indicate that those students who attend high school had parents with higher education, socio-economic status and better studying environment at home, while students attending vocational high school had higher parent-child conflict. Students attending high school had higher self-efficacy scores, while students attending vocational high school had higher scores on delinquent behavior. The results of LISREL analyses revealed a similar pattern for high school and vocational high school students. Combined analysis indicate that friends' delinquent behavior, parent-child conflict and parental control had direct and positive effect on students' delinquency behavior. Self-efficacy had a direct and negative influence of delinquency behavior. Similar pattern was obtained for friends' delinquency behavior, in which self-efficacy had a direct and negative influence of their delinquency behavior and their parent-child conflict and parental control had direct and positive effect on their delinquency behavior. In summary, those students who had lower self-efficacy, higher parent-child conflict and parental control, and with friends who are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior, had higher scores on delinquent behavior. Also, those students who had friends with lower self-efficacy scores and with higher parent-child conflict and parental control are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior, which in turn influenced their delinquent behavior. Friends' delinquent behavior had the greatest influence on students' delinquent behavior indicating the role of friends in influencing delinquency among adolescents.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.19-37
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• 2008

The youth unemployment issue has not shown any improvement in years. The purpose of this study was to observe how employment issues affecting university students influence their life aims, self-efficacy, view of reality, view of the future, and life satisfaction. 239 students from three universities located in Seoul and Gyeonggi province were assessed through the instrument FLL and questions about employment issues, their life aims, life satisfaction and also their employment perspective. A total of 34 items of the FLL were divided through factor analysis into six higher life aims, self-love, family love and interpersonal aims, personal-financial aims, social-public aims, moral aims and political and ideological aims. Using Cluster analysis, three group profiles were found depending on the employment perspective such as a better view of reality, better self-efficacy, and better life satisfaction. A t-test was conducted in order to compare the two groups classified according to favorable or unfavorable employment perspectives. No significant differences existed between the groups in the perception of youth unemployment or in social-demographic factors, such as gender, age, and academic year. However, in life aims, the unfavorable group showed significantly higher interest in the domains of family love and interpersonal aims, personal -financial aims, and social-public aims than the favorable perspective group. Conversely, this group showed a significantly greater negative view of reality in most life domains, as it evaluated that its aims are more poorly achieved than the comparable group. Also, the unfavorable perspective group showed a lesser degree of self-efficacy in most life domains and the same in the category of life satisfaction, i.e., lesser satisfaction in all life domains except for family love, and moral aims. However, no significant difference existed between the groups in the view of the future. The results were discussed in relation to other social-cognitive factors for life satisfaction found in preceding studies.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-28
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• 2009

This study examines factors influencing stress and depression among Korean and Japanese university students and the role that parental social support, resiliency of efficacy and stress management behavior play. Four hypotheses are presented. First, parental social support will have a direct influence on resiliency of efficacy. Second, resiliency of efficacy will have a direct influence on stress management behavior and stress and depression symptoms. Third, resiliency of efficacy will have a mediating influence between parental social support and stress and depression symptoms. Fourth, stress management behavior will have a direct influence on stress and depression symptoms. A total 469 participants, consisting of 289 Korean university students (male=156, female=133) and 180 Japanese university students (male=112, female=68) completed a questionnaire that included Rhode Island Stress Inventory-Short Version (Horiuchi, Tsuda, Tanaka, Yajima & Tsuda, in press), Stress Management Behavior (Evers et al., 2006), CES-D (Radloff, 1977), BDI-II (Beck, Steer & Brown, 1996), Resiliency of Efficacy (Bandura, 1995) and Parental Social Support (Kim & Park, 1999). The results supported the first three hypotheses for both samples. Hypothesis 4 was not supported for the Japanese sample and it was partially supported for the Korean sample. The results indicate that parental social support had a direct and positive influence on resiliency of efficacy. Second, resiliency of efficacy had a direct and positive influence on stress management behavior and stress and depression symptoms. Third, resiliency of efficacy had a mediating influence between parental social support and stress and depression symptoms. Fourth, stress management behavior did not have a direct influence on stress symptoms. Overall, parental social support had a direct positive influence on resiliency of self-efficacy, which in turn had a direct negative influence on stress and depression symptoms.