An international team of researchers may have just cracked the code for what makes someone “cool.” And no matter where you live, the personality traits that make someone “cool” appear to be consistent ...

Data showed that despite cultural differences, coolness is uniquely associated with the same six traits around the world: ...

A new study published in June 2025 has quantified “cool.” The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, isolated six specific traits exhibited by people that contribute to ...

Daniel Craig as James Bond in “No Time To Die” (2021). ©MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection Researchers used this data to analyze the differences between cool people, uncool people and good people.

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.

Cool people and good people aren't the same, but there are some overlapping traits, said co-lead researcher Caleb Warren, Ph.D., an associate professor of marketing at the University of Arizona.

Cool people and good people aren’t the same, but there are some overlapping traits, 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, like being hedonistic and powerful.” ...