A 2005 article in The Seattle Times written by Julia Sommerfeld appears to be the first known use of the term, although the phenomenon was documented during rapid population increases in the early 1920s, World War II, and the 1980s.
[4][5] Speculation of the origin is the reserved personalities of the city's early Nordic and Asian immigrants,[6][7] the emotional effects of the climate (such as Seasonal Affective Disorder), or the region's history of independent-minded pioneers.
[7][13] A 2008 peer-reviewed study published in Perspectives on Psychological Science found that among all 50 states, Washington residents ranked 48th in the personality trait extraversion.
[14] In 2014, a report by a local nonprofit organization ranked the population 48th out of 50 similarly sized cities in "talking with neighbors frequently",[15] and 37th for "giving or receiving favors".
[10] The Seattle Freeze was discussed in relation to isolation experienced during COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns due to the region's already engrained propensity for "cultural distancing.