Dealing with job search reactions: How strength of music preference predicts job seekers' stress and knowledge-skill development

This research investigates the relationship between music preference strength and job search reactions, specifically stress and knowledge-skill development, with career adaptability as a mediating factor. Results obtained using a two-wave data collection procedure (wave one: N = 337; wave two: N = 188; the final sample size after matching: N = 182) reveal that music preference strength is positively correlated with career adaptability, which significantly mediates the relationship between music preference strength and both lower job search stress and greater knowledge-skill development. These findings suggest that fostering strong music preferences is associated with enhanced career adaptability, which predicts reduced stress and improved skill development during job searches. However, limitations to this research, such as the two-wave design and the exclusion of other theoretical explanations, call for caution in generalizing these results and interpreting causal relationships.