Tuning in to fit in? Acculturation and media use among Chinese students in the United States

This study approaches media use among international students from a uses-and-gratifications perspective to explore the relationship between need for acculturation, acculturative motives, and media use among Chinese students in the United States. Eighty-four Chinese students participated in a survey at a large research university in the Midwestern United States. Results indicate that need for acculturation is, in fact, correlated with media use motives and patterns. An acculturative motive, for example, is correlated with watching US-based TV news programs and using US-based news websites and BBS. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.