The researchers said that one-sided relationships and the social commitment of coordination were associated with positive outcomes for listeners, while people with a greater need to belong were less likely to have heard a podcast. Researchers at Queensland University of Technology asked more than 300 participants questions about podcast listening habits and compared them to their personality traits and the reasons why they listen.
People who listen to podcasts are on average more open, mentally curious and non-neurotic than non-listeners, according to a new study (stock image) The authors wrote in their paper: “As predicted, we found that people with a higher openness to experience, scientific curiosity and a need for knowledge were more likely to have heard a podcast. This suggests that those who listen to podcasts have stronger information needs. “These findings are consistent with previous research that found that transparency, curiosity or the need for knowledge were linked to the use of other new technologies and the use of online platforms for information purposes.” The researchers said that, contrary to their predictions, those who listened to podcasts did not do so for reasons of attention or because of smartphone addiction. They added: “Participants who had a greater need to belong were less likely to have heard a podcast. “In addition, when we looked at other Big Five factors, we found that participants with higher neuroticism were less likely to have heard a podcast. “These two findings help differentiate podcast listening from the use of social media, which is positively linked to the need to belong and neuroticism.” The aim of their study was to identify predictors of podcast listening and to examine the correlations between aspects of podcast listening and psychological outcomes. Participants from a number of countries were asked to complete an online questionnaire that assessed the “Big Five” personality factors – including curiosity, need for knowledge, need to belong, age and gender – and aspects of podcast listening, such as amount format, setting and device. The researchers said that, contrary to their predictions, those who listened to podcasts did not do so for reasons of attention or due to smartphone addiction (stock image) He also looked at possible reasons for listening to a podcast, such as autonomy, ability, kinship, meaning, awareness and smartphone addiction. The researchers said that openness to experience, curiosity based on interest and the need for knowledge positively predicted podcast listening.
Men were also more likely to have tuned in to a podcast than women, which is consistent with other studies that have found similar gender differences in podcast listening. Experts found that people did not tune in to feel more autonomous, capable, related or important, despite the fact that they believed this could happen. Overall, the researchers said that their findings support the idea that informational motivation can play a role in podcast listening and that certain aspects of listening are associated with positive outcomes. In conclusion, they wrote: “Together, these findings suggest that information needs rather than social or emotional needs may be more relevant motivations for podcast listening. “This is consistent with previous findings that the information was a more strongly validated motivation for podcast listening than other more social motivations among regular podcast listeners.” The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

MUSIC CAN IMPROVE YOUR MOOD

Listening to melancholy music can improve a person’s emotional well-being in times of loneliness and distress.
Sad songs, in particular, can evoke a mixture of complex and “partly positive” emotions, including nostalgia, serenity, tenderness, transcendence, and wonder. Optimistic music that you do not consciously know you are listening to usually does not affect how you feel. But actively pursuing happiness through music can sometimes improve the health and satisfaction of your relationship. Research has also found that listening to fast, energetic music can increase the perceived spicy taste of food by up to ten percent.