Why Girls Like Bad Boys
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Why Girls Like Bad Boys
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Why Girls Like Bad Boys

Do Nice Guys Really Finish Last?

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It's long been believed that nice guys finish last — especially when it comes to the opposite sex. The typical “bad boy” is a popular choice among even the most intelligent of females, but the reason for a woman’s attraction to a guy who is so obviously good for nothing but casual sex is often unfathomable, even to the woman herself.

Bad boys come in many different forms, according to Lucia, a syndicated relationship columnist and host of the The Art of Love.

“Some bad boys are players and are just interested in getting as many notches on their belt as possible,” Lucia revealed. “Others want to date the woman but are too selfish, immature or damaged in some way to be in a successful relationship. Finally, there are the guys who are just not that into a woman.”

So why are women constantly attracted to men who just don’t seem like the type of man to eventually settle down and raise a family? The blame could be her own biology betraying her.

Born to Date Bad?

In 2012, a study by the University of Texas shed some light on the appeal of bad boys. In a statement explaining the findings of their research, a university spokesperson said that previous research has shown that in the week prior to ovulation, women become attracted to  “sexy, rebellious and handsome men” and this study hoped to shed light on why this was the case.

The researchers asked a group of women to view online dating profiles during periods of both high and low fertility. Some of the profiles displayed the answers of attractive men with typical “bad boy” tendencies while the remaining profiles featured average-looking men who would make for very reliable partners. The women were asked to indicate the “expected paternal contribution” from each of the men and how helpful each of the men would be in areas such as “caring for the baby, shopping for food, cooking and contributing to household chores.” The closer to ovulation the women were, the more they thought that the “bad boy” would make a better domestic partner.

While science is a good indicator of behavior, psychology is usually involved as well. Lucia feels the female attraction to bad boys is best explained by the same human response that keeps Vegas casinos in business.
The term is positive partial reinforcement, or PPR, and it’s a psychological reaction where the reward is not granted every time the desired action is taken. PPR is the cornerstone of places like Las Vegas and other casinos. People gamble because they’re rewarded at random intervals. If they were never rewarded, there would be no reason to gamble and if they were always rewarded, they would get bored of constantly winning. PPR is the calling card of a bad boy.