The Appeal of the Bad Boy

Nando Pelusi Ph. D discusses attraction. Not just plain attraction, but when women seemingly get attracted to the 'wrong guy'. When the wrong guy is a 'player' or a 'bad boy'. Pelusi talks about Karen, and how she's a 32-year-old woman who is successful and good-looking. She says that she becomes powerfully attracted to men who turn out to be Mr. Wrong. She was drawn to those "bad boys."

Pelusi brings the topic to the other side of the spectrum by talking about a nice-guy named Adam. Who actually took a class about "picking up chicks". The main criteria for this class was to teach men to act strong and dominant. Unfortunately for Adam he couldn't find the correct degree of Badness and he instead came across as rude.

These condident cocky men get compared to Peacocks, showing off their plumage. Their traits are deemed likely to get a girl, but not keep her for long. THey just have the genes to make women instantly attracted to them. Pelusi talks about the concept from a Darwinian point of view. Males compete for women's attention because they're the choosier sex. Then when a relationship seems fleeting, women are more likly to take a risk on the more high quality men. Pelusi Says, " Evolutionary psychologists define "good genes" for men as high-testosterone-fueled masculinity, symmetry, height, and, believe it or not, parasite resistance."

I find this article interesting. I helps women better understand why they're attracted to these "bad boys". It's only the fact that they're more dominate, and our primal instincts tell us to be more attracted to the strong provider kind. But now those men have developed a more reckless behavior. This article doesn't give any new information to the psychological world. It is however an interesting article, that may help clarify to women why they're attracted to the 'players' and the 'Mr. Wrongs' in this world.


Pelusi Ph.D, Nando. Neanderthink: The Appeal of the Bad Boy. Jan/Feb 2009. Psychology Today. March 6, 2009.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-4758.html&fromMod=emailed