Investigating the Effects of Podcast Listening and Driving Experience on Driving Performance

Holzapfel, Aaron (2025) Investigating the Effects of Podcast Listening and Driving Experience on Driving Performance. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

This study explored whether listening to a podcast affects driving performance in complex traffic scenarios and whether driving experience moderates this effect. Using a counterbalanced within-subjects design, 26 licensed drivers completed two short, simulated drives, one while listening to a podcast and one without listening to a podcast. Objective performance was measured via speed, speed variability, lane position variability, gap acceptance behaviour, and subjective evaluations of the drive from the participants. The results revealed no significant differences in driving performance between the podcast and no-podcast conditions. Driving experience, measured by license duration and monthly driving frequency, also did not moderate these effects. However, participants reported significantly higher mental effort during the podcast condition, despite no observable decline in performance. These findings suggest that podcast listening does not impair short-term driving performance in a simulated complex environment. One interpretation is that the auditory-verbal nature of podcast listening draws on different cognitive resources than driving, as predicted by Multiple Resource Theory. Another possibility is that participants compensated for the additional cognitive load by consciously investing more attention in the driving task, indicated by increased effort ratings.

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Waard, D. de
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	05 Aug 2025 12:34
Last Modified:	05 Aug 2025 12:34
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5809

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