Consider listening to a podcast while doing household chores or driving your car on the way to the office. A guest invited on the podcast speaks confidently that a particular habit “changed their life.” You believe in what the guest has said without thinking about it deeply. After this, you try that habit yourself. You wonder if you really tried this habit of your own will or were forced to do this. This shows how podcasts can gently influence our thoughts and actions.
What is Persuasion and Influence?
Persuasion is the process of influencing one’s actions and thoughts. Social influence means that our behaviour is guided by the dominant ideas and beliefs that people have in society. We feel pressure to shape our actions and behaviours according to how others think, believe, and live their lives.
Listening to a podcast does not merely give you a voice to hear. It’s a mix of sounds, music, speech, etc. All these elements have a great impact on our subconscious. They do influence people’s behaviours and attitudes. Often, they can misguide people’s thoughts and perceptions.
Why Podcasts Present Special Risks of Misguidance
1. Intimacy and Voice
One of the main reasons why podcasts present special risks of misguidance is the intimacy and voice of the host. When we listen to the host in headphones, the experience feels personal. It increases trust in the host, and we accept what they say without questioning them.
2. One-Way Delivery and Low Effort Listening
People often listen to podcasts while doing household chores, driving, walking, etc. Such a type of listening is called passive listening because people do not listen actively. They may absorb the content via simple cues such as tone and familiarity, rather than logic and reasoning. This can be understood in light of the ‘Elaboration Likelihood Model’, which suggests that when cognitive effort is low, people tend to rely more on peripheral cues rather than logical arguments (Verywell Mind, 2023).
3. Storytelling and Emotional Appeal
Podcasts often include sharing personal and emotional stories. People may share personal experiences, like what happened to them or how they suffered because of a certain incident. Due to this emotional appeal, people may overlook other important details, such as context, evidence, and logic. These emotions dominate logical arguments and reasoning.
Read More: How Does Storytelling Transform Mental Health?
4. Social Proof, Perceived Consensus, and Authority
Podcasts usually reinforce dominant beliefs by saying lots of people agree on it, or people believe this, or any other remarks that second the opinion and endorse it. These hints act as social proof for society, which is convinced to agree with what the host or guest is saying. The dominant or prevailing ideas or opinions are enforced in a subtle way, and due to this authoritative style, people are likely to accept the views without questioning them.
5. Selective Presentation and Lack of Opposing Voices
Most of the time, podcasts present selective information or one side of the story. They may focus on one perspective and ignore others. Due to this lack of diversity, the content of the podcast becomes biased. When listeners are not provided with different views or perspectives, it can misguide them, and they may form a biased opinion.
Read More: Power of the Mic: How Misleading Podcasts Shape Public Perception
Examples of How Misguidance can Show up
1. Over-Generalised Promises
Sometimes the guest may subtly overgeneralize claims, such as this habit or trick completely transforming my life, and that one hint works for everyone. They may overshadow the individual differences, and that every individual is unique. Believing that this idea works for everyone may convince the listeners to believe in what the guest is saying without thinking about the overgeneralization of the claim.
2. Simplified Science
Podcasts may reference psychology in catchy ways, like this will lighten up your mind. They may focus on influencing the individual’s perception more and leave out other important details, like what is missing, what is not explored in research, or what scientists are still unsure about. The listener may focus more on the easy phrase and not critically examine or analyse the evidence.
3. Emotional Pressure to Act Quickly
Podcasts may sensationalise things and urge listeners to take quick action before they miss out on a chance. The pressure to jump into the trend before it is too late may mislead the listeners and not let them analyse what is fact and what is not.
4. Trusted Voice Without Transparency
If the host or guest is a credible person, people may believe in their messages without thinking about their vested interests. They may have personal interests, commercial gains, or sponsorships. This lack of transparency may mislead or misguide the listeners.
5. Repetition and Familiarity
Repeated claims in podcasts may seem familiar to listeners, who tend to believe them even if the claims are weak. This repetition increases listener trust and makes them more likely to agree with the statements.
Read More: How Does Cognitive Appraisal Influence Our Emotional Responses and Behaviour?
Why does this matter for Listeners?
Podcasts can have positive effects on the listeners and provide them with guidance and information, but they can also misguide them. If the information presented in the podcast is biased or unbalanced, it can lead the listeners to create a certain opinion about things. Moreover, it does not encourage the listeners to question or critically analyse things. They become passive and absorb the content that is being delivered to them.
How to Listen to Podcasts with Awareness?
When the host or guest endorses a certain view by citing a study, we need to stop for a while and ask who did that study, is it reliable, what is the sample size, is it replicated, etc. Additionally, be aware of the emotional framing of the views and look for what is missing or not explored. Listen actively and ask questions. Focus and reflect on what is being said. If they impose by giving statements like experts say this, or everyone is doing this, explore what is not shared. Look for alternate views and counterarguments.
Conclusion
Podcasts hold immense value. They offer access to ideas, stories, interviews, and learning. The medium is flexible and engaging. Yet the same features that make them appealing also make them vulnerable to misuse. Without visual cues, without a chance to rewind easily in some cases, listeners may absorb messages in a flow and accept them without reflection.
The science of persuasion reminds us of how our minds work: we use shortcuts, we rely on cues when effort is low, and we are shaped by stories and voices (Verywell Mind, 2023). If you listen with awareness, you can draw benefits from podcasts while guarding against being misguided. In the end, your ears may hear the message—but your mind should still ask: “Why should I believe this? What is the evidence? What’s missing?” That act of questioning preserves your autonomy. It ensures you benefit from podcasts without becoming unconsciously steered.
References +
Cherry, K. (2024, February 02). The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion Explained. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-elaboration-likelihood model-of-persuasion-7724707 Verywell Mind
“How Persuasion Impacts Us Every Day.” (n.d.). Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-persuasion-2795892. Verywell Mind Persuasion. (n.d.).
Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/persuasion psychology Encyclopedia Britannica
Psychological Persuasion Techniques. (n.d.). Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-become-a-master-of-persuasion-2795901 Verywell Mind
Valenti, E. (2022). Persuasion or coercion? An empirical ethics analysis. PMC. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9587610/ PMC
Hahn, A. (2024). Theories of Persuasion. Research Starters. Retrieved from https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/theories-persuasion
