The myth of the “bad boy” never seems to die, but how long does the charm exercised by the transgressive male last? A study reveals the mechanisms of this attraction.
Literature and cinematography helped to create the myth of the “bad boy”, but how true in the charm exercised by people with “questionable” people there is? Several studies have tried to reveal the mysterious mechanisms of this attraction.
What is dark triad? This disturbing definition means a theory that describes the personality of some “negative” subjects through the combination of three psychological traits considered socially undesirable, that is, the Narcissism, Machiavellism and Psychopathy. These sections are characterized respectively by self -centeredness, tendency to manipulation and lack of empathyand are designed to understand how relational dynamics affect.
Narcissist individuals, manipulators or insensitives, men or women who are generally tend to mask their incompetence and inadequacy behind a facade of audacity and safety. Thanks to this mechanism, others can deceive, especially psychologically vulnerable people, showing false reliability.
The charm does not last long. The bad subject therefore becomes interesting not only for his transgressive behaviors, but also for the halo of charisma that emanates, and which fascinates those who observe it. However, the research suggests that, although the traits of the dark triad can be successful for short relationships, they stop working for those looking for a stable bond.
Desirable? DEPENDS. To verify how attractive individuals with dark traits are, psychologists from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, conducted two tests with over 1,200 participants. They used facial images and descriptions of the behavior of “bad subjects” to analyze how different levels of the dark traits affect the perception of attractiveness. The participants evaluated the charm of characters described in nine cartoons, which combined the traits of the dark triad at various levels (low, medium, high), to determine their desability as potential partners.
Previous studies had indicated that traits like arrogance and manipulation can be attractive And offer an advantage in competitive environments, for example in business or politics. The results of the new research suggest instead that, regardless of the sexual orientation of the participants and the sex of the individuals examined, medium or high levels of the dark triad do not increase the desability of bad subjects. Indeed, for both long -term and lower traits, for both short -term and long -term relationships were evaluated as preferable in partners.
It works at the cinema. It is a model of man, almost an archetype, already present in classical and recurring literature also in cinematographic or television fiction.
The “bad boy”, often rebellious, hard and emotionally inaccessible, fascinates and makes it fall in love with himself. Yes, because according to communication experts from the German university of Würzburg, this figure often embodies in the cinema Stereotyped male traits such as aggression, dominance and emotional coldness which, despite being generally unpleasant, in fiction may seem attractive.
“At risk” subjects. Scholars have therefore tried to understand why some women develop romantic feelings for this kind of imaginary characters in movies and TV. Interviewed 47 women, from the average age of 23 and for the most part heterosexualto analyze the traits of their personality, the intensity of the romantic bond with their favorite cinematographic “bad boy” and the feelings that this inspired them.
The researchers thus discovered that above all two traits of the personality of the women interviewed made more likely fantasies of this type: the fact that they however understood their fantasies as a game and the desire for new sensations. Women who tend to face love in a playful and without obligation, as well as those who have a strong desire for excitement and less conventional experiencestherefore they were more likely to fall in love with the “bad boys”. At least of the cinematographic ones.
