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.
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.
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.
What are the big 5 personality traits?
The Big Five personality traits, also known as the Five-Factor Model (FFM), are widely recognised dimensions of human personality that help scientists to group people together in studies.
They are used in psychology, career assessments, relationship counselling, and even marketing.
It has previously pinpointed that neuroticism, for example, is more linked to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
The five types are:
- Conscientiousness: This describes someone who is responsible, careful, and goal- and detail-oriented. They have high impulse control and tend to be organised
- Agreeableness: This describes a person who is respectful, compassionate, trusting and tries to avoid problems. They tend to be more cooperative and are helpful
- Neuroticism: This describes someone who gravitates toward unsettling emotions, such as anxiety and depression. They get upset easily
- Openness: This describes a person who is open to new experiences and curious about the world. They are creative and happy to talk about abstract ideas
- Extraversion or Extroversion: This describes someone who seeks excitement and is active and highly sociable. They are talkative, have a lot of emotional expressiveness and are energised around others
