Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

Studies of mental functions, behaviors and the nervous system.

Moderators: kiore, Blip, The_Metatron

Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#1  Postby Keep It Real » Mar 09, 2014 7:22 pm

I've got two possible explanations but aren't sure either is correct.

1. Women see a bad boy as being damaged, hurting deep inside. They want to mother and heal that struggling soul.
2. A bad boy is more of an alpha male - grim tinged from the fight for supremacy and making up his own rules as he goes along, frequently disregarding the law for example.

Any thoughts? :cheers:
Dinosaurs = atheism
User avatar
Keep It Real
Banned User
THREAD STARTER
 
Posts: 9341
Age: 42

Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#2  Postby Scarlett » Mar 09, 2014 7:38 pm

How many is 'many'?
User avatar
Scarlett
 
Posts: 16046

United Kingdom (uk)
Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#3  Postby Keep It Real » Mar 09, 2014 7:41 pm

More than would seem rational given bad boys are, well, bad.

A friend of mine, sweet girl, recently had a kid with one of these bad boys - a serial convict for GBH, loan shark and general moody twat. Completely inexplicable...or is it.
Dinosaurs = atheism
User avatar
Keep It Real
Banned User
THREAD STARTER
 
Posts: 9341
Age: 42

Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#4  Postby Reeve » Mar 09, 2014 7:43 pm

Alexandra Burke tells me it's something to do with chemistry. So I assume it involves the energy levels of electrons and maybe esters? :mrgreen:



:dance:
Cito wrote:Reeve is a daily reality for girls. I don't know what this implies.

archibald wrote:I don't take Reeve seriously. I don't think he takes himself seriously.
User avatar
Reeve
 
Posts: 2969
Age: 29
Male

Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#5  Postby Scarlett » Mar 09, 2014 7:50 pm

Keep It Real wrote:More than would seem rational given bad boys are, well, bad.

A friend of mine, sweet girl, recently had a kid with one of these bad boys - a serial convict for GBH, loan shark and general moody twat. Completely inexplicable...or is it.


A percentage will do, I feel I can't comment when it's so vague.
User avatar
Scarlett
 
Posts: 16046

United Kingdom (uk)
Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#6  Postby Keep It Real » Mar 09, 2014 8:00 pm

Well, I don't have a percentage for you, but it seems a fairly widely accepted trend, eg Bad boys more attractive to women than happy men, study finds
Dinosaurs = atheism
User avatar
Keep It Real
Banned User
THREAD STARTER
 
Posts: 9341
Age: 42

Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#7  Postby hackenslash » Mar 09, 2014 8:04 pm

I asked Mrs Slash, and she says it's the danger. ;)
hackenslash
 
Name: The Other Sweary One
Posts: 22910
Age: 54
Male

Country: Republic of Mancunia
Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#8  Postby Scarlett » Mar 09, 2014 8:07 pm

Read the study KIR, it apparently tells all.
User avatar
Scarlett
 
Posts: 16046

United Kingdom (uk)
Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#9  Postby Keep It Real » Mar 09, 2014 8:11 pm

Hackenslash and Reeve added a new perspective missing from the study. Doesn't tell it all then ;)
Dinosaurs = atheism
User avatar
Keep It Real
Banned User
THREAD STARTER
 
Posts: 9341
Age: 42

Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#10  Postby Scarlett » Mar 09, 2014 8:12 pm

Oh well, there you go.
User avatar
Scarlett
 
Posts: 16046

United Kingdom (uk)
Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#11  Postby Reeve » Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Oooh don't keep prodding, Scarlett, otherwise KIR just might start seeing red. :cigar:
User avatar
Reeve
 
Posts: 2969
Age: 29
Male

Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#12  Postby Keep It Real » Mar 09, 2014 8:20 pm

http://uk.askmen.com/dating/dating_advice_500/500_why-girls-like-bad-boys-more.html

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.

Sounds like BS to me - if I could win at the casino every time I'd be there 9-5.
Dinosaurs = atheism
User avatar
Keep It Real
Banned User
THREAD STARTER
 
Posts: 9341
Age: 42

Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#13  Postby chairman bill » Mar 09, 2014 11:20 pm

Why aren't beautiful women attracted to bald ugly gits? Specifically, why is Kate Beckinsale not banging on my bedroom door? It's not fair.



Edit: Fucking autocorrect changed gits to hits.
Last edited by chairman bill on Mar 10, 2014 10:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
“There is a rumour going around that I have found God. I think this is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.” Terry Pratchett
User avatar
chairman bill
RS Donator
 
Posts: 28354
Male

Country: UK: fucked since 2010
United Kingdom (uk)
Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#14  Postby james1v » Mar 10, 2014 12:13 am

Theres a certain truth to the OPs statement. But i think it applies more to younger women. Yep, bad-lads can be more entertaining,
More fun (if you like, hedonistic-ism) fun, which lets face it, the majority of "the yoof" do. Granted, some don't.

But i think, as we get older, women and men, reject the unstable, the chaotic lifestyle, being involved with "bad-asses" offers.

Im sure though, some get addicted to the lifestyle. Unfortunately... :think:
"When humans yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon". Thomas Paine.
User avatar
james1v
 
Name: James.
Posts: 8959
Age: 65
Male

Country: UK
United Kingdom (uk)
Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#15  Postby james1v » Mar 10, 2014 12:18 am

chairman bill wrote:Why aren't beautiful women attracted to bald ugly hits? Specifically, why is Kate Beckinsale not banging on my bedroom door? It's not fair.


I'm sure, that when she gets to 70 years old, she will be proud to hang off your knob. :think:



:hide: :leaving:
"When humans yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon". Thomas Paine.
User avatar
james1v
 
Name: James.
Posts: 8959
Age: 65
Male

Country: UK
United Kingdom (uk)
Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#16  Postby BlackBart » Mar 10, 2014 12:22 am

chairman bill wrote:Why aren't beautiful women attracted to bald ugly hits? Specifically, why is Kate Beckinsale not banging on my bedroom door? It's not fair.


If she was, sooner or later you'd have to let her out. :grin:
You don't crucify people! Not on Good Friday! - Harold Shand
User avatar
BlackBart
 
Name: rotten bart
Posts: 12607
Age: 61
Male

United Kingdom (uk)
Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#17  Postby Spinozasgalt » Mar 10, 2014 1:36 am

Keep It Real wrote:I've got two possible explanations but aren't sure either is correct.

1. Women see a bad boy as being damaged, hurting deep inside. They want to mother and heal that struggling soul.
2. A bad boy is more of an alpha male - grim tinged from the fight for supremacy and making up his own rules as he goes along, frequently disregarding the law for example.

Any thoughts? :cheers:


My thoughts? Those are really crappy explanations. I mean, ethicists can do better than that and everyone knows we're shit at explaining things. I mean, we're really shitty at it. Gawd! Go home, explanations; you're drunk.
When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight, roll up the joint.
Or don't. Just follow your arrow wherever it points.

Kacey Musgraves
User avatar
Spinozasgalt
RS Donator
 
Name: Jennifer
Posts: 18787
Age: 37
Male

Country: Australia
Australia (au)
Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#18  Postby Boyle » Mar 10, 2014 2:12 am

Keep It Real wrote:I've got two possible explanations but aren't sure either is correct.

1. Women see a bad boy as being damaged, hurting deep inside. They want to mother and heal that struggling soul.
2. A bad boy is more of an alpha male - grim tinged from the fight for supremacy and making up his own rules as he goes along, frequently disregarding the law for example.

Any thoughts? :cheers:

Honestly, and anecdotally, the explanation I've heard is basically summed up as "Who gives a fuck what a "bad boy" thinks?"

Speculative generalization: Women can be more genuine around a person they hold in low esteem because they don't need to care about their judgement. Around those "good men" women may feel shame and feel that they have to put on an act, especially because those "good men" seem to have the idea that women need to be perfect. The pressure to perform, essentially, but this time around everyone is already in their underwear and judging you. Around the bad boys, however, there is no pressure to perform. While the judgement of the bad boy can hurt, it doesn't matter because the point of having a fling or short term relationship isn't to find something so serious as a long term partner, it's for fun or to avert the effects of loneliness.

A bad boy is just a warm body to cuddle up to and a hard dick to ride.

/Speculation.
Boyle
 
Posts: 1632

United States (us)
Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#19  Postby Darwinsbulldog » Mar 10, 2014 3:22 am

I think the young of both sexes will often explore adventurous sex and relationships, then they will tend to settle down into more stable relationships as they mature. Someone might be great fun to be with, but not necessarily a reliable partner or be suitable/compatable in a longer-term scenario.
Jayjay4547 wrote:
"When an animal carries a “branch” around as a defensive weapon, that branch is under natural selection".
Darwinsbulldog
 
Posts: 7440
Age: 69

Print view this post

Re: Why are many women attracted to "bad boys"?

#20  Postby igorfrankensteen » Mar 10, 2014 4:05 am

All attraction between people is pretty straightforward. The only people who are confused, are the ones who over-think everything.

There's physical appearance, and there's the general sense that the other person is interested (i.e. values you), and there's the appearance of confidence, and there's the appearance of energy and capacity for action.

Not all "bad boys" are attractive, even to women (and homosexual men) who are attracted to other "bad boys." The ones who are, aren't all the same, or attracted for the same reasons. Some are drawn because they are themselves messed up; some are attracted by the confidence, some by the fact that these guys tend to be more action-oriented, and so forth.

It really isn't mysterious. And most PEOPLE, especially under the age of fifty, don't choose mates for purely practical reasons. Male and female alike, they select for "hotness" first, and then MAKE UP reasons to pretend that it makes sense logically.
User avatar
igorfrankensteen
 
Name: michael e munson
Posts: 2114
Age: 70
Male

Country: United States
United States (us)
Print view this post

Next

Return to Psychology & Neuroscience

Who is online

Users viewing this topic: No registered users and 1 guest