What's REALLY ‘cool'? Key 6 traits revealed by study – and the definition is universal

Scottish Sun

6 hours ago

And how 'good' is not the same as 'cool'
COOLNESS CRACKED What's REALLY 'cool'? Key 6 traits revealed by study – and the definition is universal
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WHETHER it's James Bond, Maverick, Billie Eilish or Dolly Parton - we all have a celebrity we admire and some are more popular than others.
Usually if we admire or like someone, we also think of them as 'cool'. And there's no doubt it's one of the best personality compliments you can get.
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James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, fits all the characteristics of 'cool', defined by people around the globe - though perhaps not 'open'
Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Even if it's hard to put your finger on why someone is 'cool', science has attempted to do so.
Researchers asked thousands of people across the globe what it means to be cool.
And it turns out, the feeling is universal - most people agree, regardless of their culture.
Asking 6,000 people from countries around the world, scientists found people in at least a dozen countries agreed on the definition.
The study included people from the US, Australia, Chile, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey.
The participants were asked to think of someone who they thought was cool, not cool, good or not good. They then rated the person's personality and values.
The researchers used the data to explore how cool people differ from uncool people and good people.
Cool people were perceived to be more:
Extraverted Hedonistic Powerful Adventurous Open Autonomous.
There were some crossovers with what was deemed a 'good' person.
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Co-lead researcher Dr Caleb Warren, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Arizona, said: 'To be seen as cool, someone usually needs to be somewhat likable or admirable, which makes them similar to good people.
'However, cool people often have other traits that aren't necessarily considered 'good' in a moral sense, like being hedonistic and powerful.'
Good people were perceived as more conforming, traditional, secure, warm, agreeable, universalistic, conscientious and calm.
Marvel's Captain America, for example, or even Harry Potter, may be seen as 'good' over 'cool'.
Co-lead researcher Dr Todd Pezzuti, an associate professor of marketing at the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile, said: 'Everyone wants to be cool, or at least avoid the stigma of being uncool, and society needs cool people because they challenge norms, inspire change, and advance culture.
'The concept of coolness started in small, rebellious sub-cultures, including Black jazz musicians in the 1940s and the beatniks in the 1950s.
"As society moves faster and puts more value on creativity and change, cool people are more essential than ever.'
Only participants who were familiar with the slang meaning of the word 'cool' were included in the study, published by the American Psychological Association.