A Cross-Cultural Study of Cultural, Psychological Factors on Drinking Behavior Among Koreans, Korean-Chines, and Chinese

In order to avdance understaning of the complex social process of individual drinking behavior, this cross-cultural study examined the effects of cultural and psychological factors on drinking behaviors among Koreans, Korean-Chinese and Chineas. Using the survey data collectedfrom lune, 1994 to April, 1995 both in Korea and Yanbian, China, we tested the hypothesisthat the social and cultural environment would lead differnt drinking behavior among Koreans,Korean-Chinese and Chinese in addition to the individual psychological factors. Subjects were 206 Koreans, 211 Korean-Chines and 204 Chines, total 621 subjects.

The results are :

1) The average amount of alcohol consumption and of blood level is highest in Koreans.

2) In terms of drinking motivation, the effect of blind drunkeness and group solidarity factors are higher for Koreans than others, whereas business purpose and controlling drinkingbehavior are higher among Korean-Chinese and Chinese.

3) There is no significant differences in the social motivation, while emotional motivation ishigher among Chinese for the individual motivation.

4) Age and emotional motivation are the main factors affecting the total amount of alcoholintake and the drinking frequency among Koreans. Group solidarity and blind drunkeness alsotend to lead the frequent drinking event for them. The factors of blind drunkeness and groupsolidarity also has causal effects on the frequencies of drinking for Korean-Chinese in Yanabian,while higher emotional motivaiotn as a psychological factors tends to lead a more frequentdrinking among Chinese.

5) These results show that there are differences in drinking behaviors due to the social and cultural differences among Korean-Chinese and Chinese especially in the frequencies of drinking rather than the total amount of alcohol intake.