Podcast listeners more curious than neurotic
A study by the University of Washington has found that those who listen to podcasts are more curious than neurotic and less neurotic than open-minded, according to online science magazine Science Daily. The study was based on over 2,000 people who were asked questions to evaluate their curiosity, openness to new experiences, agreeableness, conscientiousness, extroversion and neuroticism, as well as how often they listened to podcasts or watched TV. They also self-reported their podcast listening habits to see if there was any correlation between people who think they consume a lot of podcasts and people who actually do consume a lot of podcasts.
Facts about podcast listeners
Those who listen to podcasts regularly are more likely to be open-minded and slightly less neurotic, according to a new study. When researchers looked at personality traits in podcast fans they found they scored slightly higher on what’s known as openness to experience (71.9 out of 100). This is one of five major dimensions used by psychologists and researchers.
Results of the study
The findings revealed that podcast listeners were higher in curiosity and lower in neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability. Compared to non-podcast users, those who listen to podcasts were also found to be less lonely.
The role of personality in podcast listening
The results of a new study suggest that personality plays a significant role in determining whether or not people will download and listen to podcasts. Listening to podcasts is on the rise, with 40 percent of Australians now tuning in—making it one of today’s most popular forms of media. As podcast popularity increases, many marketers have begun using podcasts as an innovative way to reach potential customers and connect with them. But does personality play a part in whether or not someone chooses to tune into podcasts? Researchers from North Carolina State University sought to answer just that question by examining how three major factors – openness, conscientiousness and neuroticism – influence podcast listening behavior. In addition, they looked at how these factors relate to other variables like gender, age and race/ethnicity. The researchers found that openness was positively associated with listening behavior; individuals who scored high for openness were more likely to listen to podcasts than those who scored low for openness.
Final thoughts
Based on your results, are you surprised to find that podcast listeners are more curious and less neurotic? Do your own results match up with these findings? If so, why do you think there is a positive correlation between curiosity and listening to podcasts? Why do you think there is a negative correlation between neuroticism and listening to podcasts? What other findings would be interesting to report about podcast listeners. Do you agree or disagree with these correlations based on what you know about yourself and your friends’ listening habits? Leave your thoughts below.
Feature Image by PourquoiPas from Pixabay
