| This study has examined the national image of the United States, as well as the impact of American media on Taiwanese viewers' values, beliefs, and attitudes. Using the Galileo multidimensional scaling program (Woelfel & Fink, 1980), and Rokeach's value measurement (Rokeach, 1973), American and Taiwanese perceptions of the image of the United States were examined. Also, their cognitive frameworks as well as their instrumental, and terminal values were displayed and compared. In this study, the change of culture and attitudes of the Taiwanese due to American media consumption and interpersonal contacts were examined by correlating the pair-wised distances in Galileo and the amount of American media consumption as well as the degree of interpersonal contacts. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the cultural convergence process between Taiwan and the United States measured by the Galileo pair-wised comparisons, and Rokeach's value rankings.; The Galileo System graphically presented the concepts ("Freedom", "Justice", "Optimism", "Friendliness", "Pride", "Racism", "Egoism", and "Naivety") describing the Taiwanese and American respondents' image of the United States in a multidimensional space. Nonparametric analyses and discriminant analyses found that the American and Taiwanese differed significantly in their terminal and instrumental values. The results of correlation and multiple regression analyses have partially supported the hypotheses regarding the effects of American media and interpersonal contacts on value formation, national identity, image of the United States, and cultural convergence of the Taiwanese. Suggestions are provided for future research focused on international cultivation analysis, cultural convergence process, and media imperialism. |
