Decoding Coolness: Global Study Reveals Key Personality Traits

an international research team has possibly unlocked the secrets to what makes a person “cool,” identifying a set of personality traits that appear to be consistent across diverse cultures. the study, featured in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, offers insights into how “coolness” is perceived globally.

Key Traits of Cool People

The study compared individuals considered “cool” with those seen as “good” or “favorable.” The results indicated that “cool” people are generally perceived as more extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open, and autonomous. These traits appear to transcend geographical boundaries.

did You Know? The Big Five Personality Traits are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. These are often used to assess personality in psychological studies.

Todd Pezzuti, an associate professor of marketing at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile and a lead researcher on the study, emphasized the surprising consistency of these attributes across different countries. “Whether it’s China, Korea, Chile, or the US, people are drawn to those who push boundaries and initiate change,” Pezzuti stated.

Cool vs. Good: Understanding the Differences

Researchers from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, the University of Arizona, and the University of Georgia conducted experiments between 2018 and 2022. nearly 6,000 participants from twelve countries, including Australia, Chile, China, Germany, India, mexico, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, turkey, and the United States, took part in the study.

Participants were asked to identify individuals in their lives whom they considered “cool,” “uncool,” “good,” or “not good.” They then evaluated these individuals’ personalities using the Big Five Personality scale and the Portrait values Questionnaire.

The study revealed that traits such as being calm, conscientious, universalistic, agreeable, warm, secure, traditional, and conforming were more strongly associated with being a “good” person than with being a “cool” person. While capability was seen as both “cool” and “good,” the defining characteristics of “coolness” remained the six core traits, irrespective of age, gender, or education level.

Pro Tip: Understanding these traits can definitely help individuals and brands better connect with their target audiences by embodying characteristics that resonate with their desired image.

The Innate Nature of Coolness

Pezzuti suggests that these “cool” traits are largely inherent. “We’re born with those attributes,” he explained. “five of those attributes are personality traits, and personality traits tend to be fairly stable.”

Caleb Warren, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Arizona and co-lead researcher, noted that while “cool” and “good” people are not identical, there may be some overlap. “To be seen as cool, someone usually needs to be somewhat likable or admirable, which makes them similar to good people,” Warren stated.Though, he added that “cool people frequently enough have other traits that aren’t necessarily considered ‘good’ in a moral sense, like being hedonistic and powerful.”

Limitations and Future Research

One limitation of the study was its focus on individuals who understood the concept of “coolness.” Pezzuti acknowledged that it would be engaging, though challenging, to determine whether the findings would hold true in more traditional cultures or remote communities less familiar with the term.

He proposed that in such cultures, “cool” people might not play as significant a role because innovation and cultural change are less emphasized. “So I would say that cool people are probably present in those cultures, but their role isn’t as big, and they’re probably not as admired as they are in other cultures,” Pezzuti said.

Elon Musk: An Example of Coolness?

When asked to name a public figure who embodies “coolness” based on the research, Pezzuti immediately pointed to Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. Pezzuti believes Musk exemplifies all six attributes identified in the study.

Musk is “undeniably powerful” and autonomous, Pezzuti noted, and his presence on social media and in the media suggests extroversion. Additionally, Musk’s ventures, such as colonizing Mars, demonstrate openness and adventurousness.

Jonah Berger, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, praised the study for its empirical approach to understanding “coolness.” He noted that while many have theorized about what makes people cool, there has been limited empirical research on the topic.

Jon Freeman, an associate professor of psychology at Columbia university, suggested that future research coudl explore “coolness” in relation to both goodness and badness, as it can have both positive and negative connotations in different social contexts.

From a scientific perspective, Freeman added, “cool” is more a product of social construction than genetics, though temperament informed by genetics could contribute to personality development.

What do you think makes someone cool? Do you agree with the study’s findings?

What other qualities do you associate with being cool?

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