【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 In the United States, loan consumption is a very mon phenomenon。 from houses to cars, from credit cards to the telephone consumption bills, the loan is ubiquity. In American people’s mind, they are able to realize their wishes as long as they are working hard, so they have no hesitation in asking banks for loans to buy houses to improve their standards of living. If they have extra money, they choose consumption, to realize their own needs, to pursue the improvement in their standard of living instead of depositing money in banks. American people think that they would like to enjoy their lives even by loaning money from bank or making an installment. Frugality and Enjoyment With frugal consumption conception people make maximum savings in consumption, reduce or even eliminate waste consumption. The economy has been the traditional virtue of Chinese nation since ancient times. Thrift is Chinese traditional consumption conception, also is the experience of Chinese traditional family. In China, many family disciplines emphasize that “frugality is the basic rule to manage a home” (Sun, 1995:48). For Chinese people, frugality is not only a consumption conception, but also a moral value. The characteristic can be reflected in Chinese daily life. For example, if things can’t work, most people usually go to repair and reuse them until those things cannot be mended. Today, online shopping is very popular。 not only is it convenient, but also it is cheap. We think we should save as much as we can. Americans like to catch new things in order to be different. They get rid of old things quickly and without any considerations, because they think that it just wastes time to mend them. Americans who believe in individualism advocate that people should have a happy life, so they attach importance to the existing consumption and enjoy life in time. Of course, this is highly maintained through selfstriving. So many people work hard and earn earnestly, and then chase consumption and enjoyment (Sun, 1995:48).Americans like travelling。 tourism has bee a major industry in America. Even if they have not enough money, they will borrow money to travel. For most people in China it is an unacceptable thing. Chinese think travelling costs a lot, especially travelling aboard is a luxurious expense, which is not accord with our frugal consumption conception. Practicability and Form Chinese pay more attention to the practical value of modities because of the influence of frugal consumption conception. They do not care the form and package of goods, but emphasize the intrinsic and practical value of modities. For example, when we want to buy something, we will consider not only the price, but also its practicability. We always think that bottled stuff is not economical, because we have to spend money on its packaging. Americans attach importance to form, lay stress on the aesthetic value of modities。 good packaging is important to them. Sometimes, the cost of packaging is much more than the quality. They think that if one thing has no good form or packaging, it may have no good quality, so the packaging has also bee one of the factors that affect their consumption behavior. Collectivity and Individuality Triandis (1995) defines collectivism as a social pattern that consists of individuals who see themselves as an integral part of one or more collectives, such as family and friends, and individualism as a social pattern that consists of individuals who see themselves as autonomous and independent of collectives (Lee, Kacen, 2008:266). China and America are the representative countries of collectivism and individualism. People from more collectivist societies are more likely to be motivated by norms and duties imposed by the collective, to give priority to the goals of the collective and to try to emphasize their connectedness to the collective. People from more individualist cultures are more likely to be motivated by their own preferences, needs, and rights, to give priority to their personal goals and to emphasize their uniqueness and distinction from others (Lee, Kacen, 2008:266). Chinese people put the collective interest first。 the group’s benefit is more important than personal benefit. When the individual es into conflict with the collective, people must neglect the individual. So people tend to follow the collectivity, and form a habit of seeking conformity. With the value of conformity, people almost consider the customs and social norms in their variety of consumption behaviors, such as eating, wearing and using, and strive to be consistent with the corresponding social class. For example, if many people buy one product, and then one will buy this kind of product without considering whether it is fit for him or not. We think we should have the things which others have. Besides, capper is a mon phenomenon in Chinese markets, exactly because the conformity of the group interferes with the judgment of individual consumers (Wen, Shi, 2004:109). Individualism is a typical capitalist political culture and social philosophy, believing that individual value is the most important and emphasizing self control widely. The United States is a typical representative of individualism. The value of individualism is also reflected in consumption. Individual preferences are unique. Americans do not stick to one pattern, which fully emerge on their wearings. Most people want to be different from the rest, in order to achieve the desired result。 they even choose fancy dress. In the United States, everyone is an independent individual, so they do not like what others like, such as family decoration, unlike Chinese, who always follow the same pattern (Sun, 1995:47). Consequently, if they have a chance, they will be fully showing their distinctive self.4 The Influences of Chinese and American Cultures on Consumption Conception As we all know, different countries have different cu