Higher levels of success, intelligence and kindness are assumed when someone is seen as physically attractive. Typically, when an individual is attracted to someone, that individual automatically assumes that he or she is going to be good, thus ignoring negative personality traits.Īccording to the ' halo effect,' physical attractiveness can make people believe that a person possesses many other positive qualities as well. It turns out that in many cases, just like positive personality traits, physical attractiveness may overshadow the evil personality.īanfield mentions a psychological effect called 'the halo effect' - it occurs when people see someone who they consider to be physically attractive. Nobody wants to admit that they find the villain attractive because many aren't sure why they feel this way. She believes that individuals don't mind if their partner is cruel to everyone else, so long as that person treats him or her with respect.īut what happens when looks also come into play with someone who is evil yet physically attractive? This may cause conflicting feelings within ourselves. Being dominant is seen as desirable,” Gordon said.ĭominance and aggression aren't the only personality traits common in 'the bad boy.' Males that fall into this category also exhibit several alluring behaviors, such as confidence, humor and charisma. These positive attributes make it easier to overlook any faults, such as narcissism or stubbornness that a 'bad boy' may also possess.Įlise Banfield, a psychology professor, mentions that not only is it attractive for men to have both kind and unkind aspects to his personality, but women tend to enjoy being the one person that the man is caring towards. We have all these characteristics of acceptable masculinity where aggression in males is seen as being normal and natural. There’s that gendered expectation of masculinity and femininity. ' has socialized itself from a gender point of view. Nickesia Gordon, a media studies professor, expanded on why women may value an aggressive personality in males. Women often want males to have some sort of mix between engaging and aloof. More often than not, women find outgoing and bold men more attractive, qualities that are integral to the villain persona. This can be exhibited through attraction to someone's style or attraction to something more subtle such as their body language. We generally place value on physical attractiveness, personalities and the connection or 'spark' we feel with others.

But, is the idea of protection via aggression towards others the only thing that draws individuals to the 'bad boy'? History, television and movies have all portrayed the villains and the bad guys as the tough and attractive characters that are typically more aggressive. How is he going to protect me? How is he going to take care of me?” she asked.īeck is not the only one who feels this way.

“I wonder, is it in our nature to want someone who is going to protect us and take care of us, and if anything happens to us they’ll fight for us? People walk all over the nice guy. Makini Beck, a sociology professor, considers what makes women more drawn to the “bad boy.” Why then, is the allure of a villain so strong? Of course, everyone is attracted to different physical characteristics and different personality traits. Women don't want the guy with a big smile on his face, they want the guy with the tattoos sitting on top of a motorcycle. “Nice guys finish last,” right? Society taught us from a young age that the nice guy won’t be as successful and he won’t get the girl either.

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