近年來，隨著教育政策之改變及社會各界對於高等人材之殷切需求，國內大學生及研究生人數也跟著急速膨脹，同時每年更有成千上萬的同學前往各國留學，以追求其他的進修機會。然而，過去對於大學生生活與休閒問題之研究，大部份均以國內大學生為調查研究對象，對於人數激增之研究生及留學生則極少注意。因此，國內大學生及研究生在個人特質、生活型態、休閒偏好及消費習慣等方面是否與國外留學生及世界其他國家之大學生及研究生有所不同，實為亟待探討之主題。 本研究擬以中美日韓的大學生為研究群體，來從事個人特質、生活型態、休閒偏好與消費行為之關係研究，而研究之主要目的如下： 1. 瞭解並比較中美日韓大學生在個人特質、生活型態、休閒偏好與消費習慣等各主要構面因素間之差異性。 2. 探討以上各構面因素間之相關性與互動關係。 3. 提供實務界研究之結果，以瞭解個人特質對購買行為之影響，並作為市場區隔及擬定行銷組合策略之參考；亦可提供學術界更進一步研究之依據。 透過1310份問卷調查及資料分析結果，本研究發現美國大學生之自信心與獨立性較強，且敢於承擔風險，日本之大學生較為依賴、任性及多疑。美國大學生亦比較重視追求時髦，並重視高品牌、高價位及顯異性產品。大陸及日本之大學生較重視經濟實在及中低價位產品之消費。 本研究同時顯示自信心較高、外向上進、追求時髦且重視品牌品質之消費者，花在社交類、藝文類及賭博性娛樂活動之時間明顯較多。而比較依賴、成熟穩重且以經濟實在為消費傾向之消費者，花在戶外活動之時間明顯較多。

Recently, with the change of governmental requlations and the urgent demand of hgher level professionals from various institutions, the quantity of demestic college and graduate students has increased tremendously. In addition, tens of thousands of students have chosen to study abroad to experience alternative higher educational environments and opportunities. Nevertheless, most of previous studies has neglected these facts and still focused only on the living and consuming issues of the domestic college students. Specifically, whether the personal characters, social values, lifestyles, leisure preferences, and consuming behaviors of the domestic college students are different from those students studying abroad, and students in other countries is subject to further validations. This study focuses on identifying the interrelationships between personal traits, lifestyles, leisure preferences, and consuming behaviors. Through a questionnaire survey of college students from Taiwan, Mainland China, United States, Japan, and Korea, the purposes of this study are as follows： 1. to understand and compare the differences on personal traits, lifestyles, leisure preferences, and consuming behaviors, among chinese, American, Japanese, and Korean college students. 2. to investigate the interrelationships between factors of the above constructs. 3. to provide business industries with relevant information about current college students, so that firms can identify market segmentation and marketing mix strategies. The information will also be useful for further empirical validations about this matter. Through a series of mailed questionnaire survey for 1310 Taiwanese students in Taiwan, Taiwanese students in Japan, Taiwanese students in the U.S., Mainland students in Mainland China, Korean students in Seoul, Japanese students in Japan and American students in the U.S., this study found that American students have more self-confidence and independence, and also have more courage to take risk, while Japanese students are more dependent, willful, and suspicious. Also, American students have comparatively shown to be more fasion-conscious and more brand-oriented shoppers, preferring high-price and distinguished products; while Mainland and Japanese students have turned to be more economical and practical shoppers, preferring middle-price and low-price products. Finally, this study found that if consumers are more self-confident, extrovergent, high-achieving, fasion-conscious, and brand-oriented, they would spend significantly more time on social activities, appreciation of art, music and literature, and gambling entertainments. Yet, if consumers are comparatively more dependent, mature, stable, and revealing an economical and pratical shopping style, they tend to spend significantly more time on outdoor activities.