台灣自願簡單生活族之消費行為研究

Abstract

自願簡單（voluntary simplicity）最早是出現於1930年代甘地所提出的自奉儉約的觀念中，後在1936 年Gregg 率先以學術角度詮釋自求簡樸，直至1980 年代，此一觀念才真正受到許多學者的重視。 目前針對自願簡單的相關研究限於國外，而且停留在消費者需求與動機的探討，沒有針對消費者後續的行為，做深入的研究；在國內則只有針對簡單生活型態做少數的內容評論，缺乏以消費者行為的觀點探討。為了補足這塊研究，本研究嘗試了解台灣自願簡單生活族的發展情形，並進一步探討自願簡單消費意識與其他外在行為之關聯性，和自願簡單生活型態是如何影響這些外在行為。 本文針對研究者周遭的人事進行自願簡單生活量測的調查，透過相關分析、迴歸分析等統計工具，探討自願簡單生活型態（VSL）是與哪些消費者心理特徵可能有關連性，以及此種生活形態是如何進而影響到消費者日常的生活和購買行為。本文同時透過分群比較，進行相關檢定找出自願簡單生活族在人口上的特徵。 經實證資料分析後，本研究發現個人的VSL態度是與個人的懷舊傾向與科技焦慮度呈現正相關，並且VSL的確會造成個人外在行為上的改變，影響消費者的行為表現：綠色消費、健康飲食、理性購物決策、回歸鄉野、簡單購物與非價格導向的購買。因此在消費者自願選擇過著簡單的生活形式之下，就會驅使個人在消費與購物決策符合簡單的原則，實行綠色消費、健康飲食與鄉居生活，並且擁有一個比較理性的購物決策。

Voluntary Simplicity” appeared most early in the concept of self-thrifty put forward by Gandhi in the 1930s. Later, in 1936, Gregg took the lead in explaining “Voluntary Simplicity” from the view of academy. Not until 1980s was the concept emphasized by many scholars. At present, on this topic, related researches are limited to foreign scholars, but most only stay at the field of approaching Voluntary Simple Lifestyle(VSL) consumers’ needs and motives, without exploring their follow-up behavior deeply. As for VSL researches in Taiwan, there are only comments and description about VSL consumers, lacking papers which approach VSL from the view of consumer behavior. For replenishing such kind researches, this paper tries to understand the development of VSL consumer group in Taiwan, and further inquire into the correlation between VSL awareness and other external behaviors, and how VSL affects these consumer behaviors. In this paper, VSL research is investigated by pointing at the researcher’s known people around him. Throughout the correlation analysis and regression analysis, the researcher explores the relationship among VSL and some characteristics of consumer psychology, and how this lifestyle further affects consumers’ daily behaviors and purchases in the life. Meanwhile, by comparison between consumer groups with different VSL intensities, proceeding related tests, the researcher finds out high VSL consumers’ unique demographical and behavioral characteristics. After empirical analysis, this paper discovers that personal attitude to VSL is correlated to personal inclination of nostalgia and technology anxiety. They have positive correlation between each other. And, VSL indeed affects personal behaviors and induces changes in behaviors of green consuming, healthy food, rational purchase decisions, return to the county life, simple purchase and non-price oriented purchase. Therefore, since the consumers choose to live a life of VSL, VSL would drive these consumers to fit the principle of simplicity when consuming and making purchase decisions, and to implement green consumption, healthy food and countryside living. VSL also lead them to own a more rational decision process in purchase.