A new cross-cultural study has identified six personality traits universally associated with what makes a person “cool.”
The research, published by the American Psychological Association, surveyed participants across 13 cultural regions, including the U.S., Germany, India, Nigeria, and China. Respondents were asked to identify individuals they considered cool, not cool, good, and not good, and then rate their personalities and values.
According to the findings, people perceived as “cool” were consistently described as more extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open, and autonomous. In contrast, individuals considered “good” were seen as more conforming, traditional, secure, warm, agreeable, conscientious, and calm.
While there can be an overlap between the two categories, co-lead researcher Caleb Warren, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Arizona, noted a key distinction.
“To be seen as cool, someone usually needs to be somewhat likable or admirable, which makes them similar to good people,” Warren said. “However, cool people often have other traits that aren’t necessarily considered ‘good’ in a moral sense, like being hedonistic and powerful.”
The study cites British entrepreneur Richard Branson as an example, whose adventurous exploits like space travel and ballooning across the Atlantic embody “cool” attributes.
Researchers also emphasized that the perception of coolness is often context-dependent. For instance, while tech billionaire Elon Musk possesses traits like power and autonomy, his smoking marijuana on a podcast was not seen as cool by investors. However, the study authors suggested the same act may have been perceived as cool by college students or those with countercultural views.
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