The desire to be perceived as “cool” significantly impacts people’s behaviour, including their communication styles, personal expression, purchasing decisions, values, and identity presentation. Whether it is teenagers flocking to wear the same trendy outfit or business professionals showcasing their innovativeness, coolness defines social standing and identity. But what defines someone as cool, and is this perception consistent across cultures?
While “goodness” often implies moral virtue, “coolness” seems to denote something different, such as autonomy, charisma, boldness, and power. International research conducted in countries such as India, Germany, and the U.S. revealed that the same features of extroversion, adventurousness, and openness in personality are consistently linked to coolness. This evidence suggests a possible universal recognition of these characteristics. This implies that coolness may serve a global social function: rewarding those who challenge norms and drive cultural shifts, regardless of their location.
To investigate the culture-specific psychology of coolness, the researchers surveyed 4,261 people across 13 countries with different cultural backgrounds and traditions. Participants were randomly asked to recall a non-famous individual they considered cool, uncool, good, or not good. They then subsequently measured those attributes of that individual with two developed instruments: a modified Portrait Values Questionnaire covering 10 personal values (e.g., autonomy, hedonism, warmth), and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory representing the Big Five traits. The data were collected between 2018 and 2024, with later phases preregistered. The recruitment was done through online platforms and academic pools. Additional demographic data, manipulation checks, and exploratory measures were included to ensure cultural relevance and depth.
Among 15 traits assessed, six traits, such as extraversion, hedonism, power, adventurousness, openness, and autonomy, were more strongly associated with perceptions of coolness than with goodness. For instance, extraversion was a strong predictor of coolness but had weak or even negative associations with perceptions of moral goodness. Personality traits such as calmness, warmth, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and tradition were more closely associated with goodness than coolness.
Notably, this trend did not vary in 13 countries ranging between WEIRD and non-WEIRD societies and across various levels of human development. The demographic factors, like age, gender, and educational background, had minimal influence on how coolness was perceived.
This cross-cultural study reveals that the concept of coolness is strikingly consistent worldwide, where qualities such as openness, autonomy, and adventurousness are universally admired in contrast to the comfort and conformity associated with goodness, rooted in traditional and social maintenance. Coolness emphasizes independence and boldness, characteristics more frequently tied to creativity, innovation, and leadership. Coolness can serve as a more contemporary status symbol in the contemporary high-speed, creative economies, similar to instances of posing wealth as a status symbol in earlier times. Whether cultural or demographical, humans across boundaries love those who question with style and confidence. But such expression of cool must be genuine; there can be too much freedom or authority perceived as unnatural or irresponsible. Future research should examine how coolness is perceived in the offline/rural/traditional communities that global trends may have less influence on.
In conclusion, coolness is not merely a fleeting cultural trend; it depicts traits that are valued across cultures and may increasingly serve as a symbol of status and influence in a globally interconnected world. Understanding what defines a “cool” person offers valuable insight into social identity, influence, and evolving societal norms.
References: Pezzuti T, Warren C, Chen J. Cool people. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2025; doi:10.1037/xge0001799
