作为一种新兴的电子商务平台，社会型虚拟世界（Social Virtual World, SVW）的成功取决于大量用户的持续使用，但SVW用户的持续使用动机和行为具有文化差异性，这一问题尚未被系统性地研究。本项目基于前期工作中验证的"基于认同感的SVW持续使用模型"，探索文化在SVW持续使用中的作用和机制。通过文献研究、定性研究和网络数据挖掘，识别在SVW持续使用中有重要影响的文化维度，构建其作用机制模型。应用回归分析和结构方程模型，分别在超国家、国家和个人层面上对文化作为二分变量和连续变量在SVW持续使用中的直接和调节作用进行量化测度；并专门针对中国的SVW进行研究，通过与国际SVW的对比检验结论的普适性，归纳基于中国文化背景的SVW开发和使用的一般原则和特殊问题；旨在从理论上拓展SVW持续使用研究，丰富文化研究的实证方法，并为中国SVW开发商和用户提供有科学依据的可行性建议。

The success of social virtual world (SVW) services, as an new form of e-commerce platform, depend heavily on the continued usage (i.e., continuance) of a large amount of users. While SVW users' continuance motivations and behaviors vary across cultures, this issue has not been investigated systematically. On the basis of the commitment-based SVW continuance model which we have proposed and validated in previous work, this project further explores the effects of culture in SVW continuance and its affecting mechanisms. Drawing upon the related literature, and using qualitative study and web data mining, we identify those cultural dimensions which have important impacts in SVW usage, and develop a theoretical model regarding their effects and affecting mechanisms in SVW continuance. Operationalizing cultural dimensions as either dichotomous or continuous variables, we estimate their direct and moderating effects in SVW continuance at three levels of analysis (supranational, national, and individual), using regression analysis and structural equation modeling. Specifically, this project also conducts empirical study in Chinese SVW, and compares the results with those in international SVW, in order to evaluate the generalizability of key findings, understanding general principles and special issues in developing and using Chinese culture based SVW. In general, this project aims to theoretically extend the research on SVW continuance, enrich the empirical methods in culture research, and provide theory-based and feasible suggestions for developers and customers of Chinese SVW.