Latest news with #ToddPezzuti
Fast Company
a day ago
- Science
- Fast Company
Psychologists now know exactly what makes someone cool. Turns out, the definitions are universal
The definition of ' cool ' would seem to be an ephemeral thing. (We're not talking temperature here. We're talking James Dean, Serena Williams, and Arthur Fonzarelli cool.) What inspires one to admire another would ostensibly vary from person to person. That didn't stop a global group of scientists from looking into what it means to be cool, though. And what they found was ' cool ' is a lot more universal than you might expect. '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,' said co-lead researcher Todd Pezzuti, PhD, an associate professor of marketing at the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile, in a statement. The peer-reviewed study, which was published in the American Psychological Association's Journal of Experimental Psychology, included experiments with roughly 6,000 participants from around the world between 2018 and 2022. Participants were asked to think of someone who they thought was cool, not cool, good, or not good, then rate the personality and values of those people. Cool is universal in more ways than you might expect. For example, the study found that even in countries with languages based on non-Latin alphabets, such as South Korea and Turkey, 'people use the word cool, often pronouncing it similarly to how it is pronounced in English.' Cool people are likable but not always good Not surprisingly, there was some crossover between who participants thought of as a good person and a cool person. But despite the overlap in some traits, the two aren't the same, researchers found. 'To be seen as cool, someone usually needs to be somewhat likable or admirable, which makes them similar to good people,' said co-lead researcher Caleb Warren, PhD, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Arizona. 'However, cool people often have other traits that aren't necessarily considered 'good' in a moral sense.' That could explain why antiheroes, especially in films and TV shows, are so often seen as cool. There is a risk of homogenization of coolness, though, as music, films, and fashion become global products. When Taylor Swift and the Avengers become properties that dominate conversations and pop culture—not only in the United States, but in virtually every other country—pre-existing definitions of what it means to be cool can also become more fixed. Indeed, the perception of coolness, researchers wrote, 'is [now] stable across countries, which suggests that the meaning of cool has crystallized on a similar set of values and traits around the globe.' That said, being cool hasn't lost its coolness. It has simply progressed. 'Coolness has definitely evolved over time, but I don't think it has lost its edge. It's just become more functional,' Pezzuti said. 'The concept of coolness started in small, rebellious sub-cultures, including among 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.' What makes someone cool? The study found that being cool largely comes down to six traits. Perhaps most obviously, cool people are more extraverted than uncool people. They're also powerful, hedonistic, adventurous, open, and autonomous. There are limits, of course. Take musicians, a group that produces plenty of cool people, as an example. 'A rock band seemed more cool when it displayed moderate levels of autonomy (e.g., not trying to write songs that everyone likes) than extreme autonomy (e.g., not caring at all what others think about their music),' the study reads. 'The same likely applies to the other cool attributes. For example, a hedonistic person who parties all night, abuses drugs, and has reckless sex will likely strike most people as being irresponsible rather than cool.' Good people, the study found, have many of those same qualities, but other personality traits were ranked more highly by the subjects. 'Being calm, conscientious, universalistic, agreeable, warm, secure, traditional, and conforming are more associated with good than with cool people,' the study reads. 'Being capable is both cool and good, but not distinctly either.'
Evening Standard
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
What makes someone 'cool'? New study reveals the key to being 'fresh'
'Coolness has definitely evolved over time, but I don't think it has lost its edge. It's just become more functional,' said the co-lead researcher Todd Pezzuti. 'The concept of coolness started in small, rebellious subcultures, 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.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Scientists define six traits that make a person ‘cool' – and they transcend borders
People deemed 'cool' boast six surprisingly similar personality traits across cultures, according to a new study that hints at the role played by broadcast media in standardising the meaning of the term. While their cultures vary greatly, the definition of a cool person in Eastern and Western social circles seems to be identical, according to the study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. The study is based on psychology experiments conducted from 2018 to 2022 with about 6,000 adult participants from the US, Australia, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey. Each participant was asked to think of someone they thought was 'cool', 'not cool', 'good', or 'not good', and then rate that person's personality and values. Using this data, researchers assessed how cool people differed from 'uncool' and 'good' people. '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,' study co-lead researcher Todd Pezzuti explained. 'The concept of coolness started in small, rebellious subcultures, 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.' In spite of cultural variations, cool people were universally perceived as being more extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open, and autonomous, researchers from the American Psychological Association found. In comparison, 'good' people were perceived as more conforming, traditional, secure, warm, agreeable, universalistic, conscientious, and calm. While there are some overlapping traits, researchers point out that being cool isn't necessarily considered 'good' in a moral sense. The growth of fashion, music and film industries globally has seen the meaning of cool 'crystallise on a similar set of values and traits around the globe', becoming 'more commercially friendly', the study noted. 'Coolness has definitely evolved over time but I don't think it has lost its edge. It's just become more functional,' Dr Pezzuti said. Researchers said their findings could help better understand the role played by 'coolness' in establishing social hierarchies and changing social and cultural practices and norms. 'The fact that cool people are seen as having a similar attribute profile around the world and that these attributes are distinctly cool rather than good in general makes a strong case that coolness is a meaningful construct that can help explain how people understand, order, and structure their social world,' they wrote. 'If coolness emerged as a status granted to those who inspire and facilitate cultural change, then perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that cool people, from San Francisco and Santiago to Sydney and Seoul, show traits that would make them more likely to question convention, innovate, and persuade others to change.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Are YOU cool? Scientists reveal the six attributes that mean you fit the description
From San Francisco to Sydney, Chile to China, cultures vary greatly around the world. But a new study reveals there's an international consensus when it comes to what it means to be 'cool'. Researchers conducted experiments with almost 6,000 participants from countries around the globe and found cool people have surprisingly similar personalities. And it turns out that those who fit the description are universally perceived to have the same traits. '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,' said co-lead researcher Todd Pezzuti, PhD, an associate professor of marketing at the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile. The study included experiments carried out between 2018 and 2022 in the United States, Australia, Chile, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey. 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. Analysis revealed that 'good' people were perceived as more conforming, traditional, secure, warm, agreeable, universalistic, conscientious and calm. Meanwhile 'cool' people were thought to be more extraverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous. 'To be seen as cool, someone usually needs to be somewhat likable or admirable, which makes them similar to good people,' co-lead researcher Caleb Warren said. 'However, cool people often have other traits that aren't necessarily considered 'good' in a moral sense, like being hedonistic and powerful.' As the reach of the fashion, music and film industries grows worldwide, the meaning of cool 'has crystallized on a similar set of values and traits around the globe' and has become 'more commercially friendly,' the researchers said. 'Coolness has definitely evolved over time, but I don't think it has lost its edge,' Dr Pezzuti said. 'It's just become more functional. 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.' The research was published online in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. The study reads: 'The quest to be cool shapes who people admire, how they talk, where they shop and what they do for fun. 'Scholars agree that people spend an inordinate amount of time and money in their attempt to seem cool. 'People across the globe use the word cool and want to be cool, but what does it mean to be a cool person? 'Our research begins to answer these questions.' BIG FIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS The 'Big Five' personality traits are openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. The Big Five personality framework theory uses these descriptors to outline the broad dimensions of people's personality and psyche. Beneath each broad category is a number of correlated and specific factors. Here are the five main points: Openness - this is about having an appreciation for emotion, adventure and unusual ideas. People who are generally open have a higher degree of intellectual curiosity and creativity. They are also more unpredictable and likely to be involved in risky behaviour such as drug taking. Conscientiousness - people who are conscientiousness are more likely to be organised and dependable. These people are self-disciplined and act dutifully, preferring planned as opposed to spontaneous behaviour. They can sometimes be stubborn and obsessive. Extroversion - these people tend to seek stimulation in the company of others and are energetic, positive and assertive. They can sometimes be attention-seeking and domineering. Individuals with lower extroversion are reserved, and can be seen as aloof or self-absorbed. Agreeableness - these individuals have a tendency to be compassionate and cooperative as opposed to antagonistic towards other people. Sometimes people who are highly agreeable are seen as naive or submissive. People who have lower levels of agreeableness are competitive or challenging. Neuroticisim - People with high levels of neuroticism are prone to psychological stress and get angry, anxious and depressed easily. More stable people are calmer but can sometimes be seen as uninspiring and unconcerned.
