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I'm a therapist... here's why women are attracted to 'bad boys'
Women may be subconsciously attracted to the 'bad boy' over the 'nice guy' for a very simple evolutionary reason.
Marriage therapist David Perl has claimed that women are drawn to mates who could have the best chance at providing strong offspring.
The 'bad boy,' usually the Alpha male, carries a confident and strong demeanor that influences a woman's taste in men during ovulation.
This is an evolutionary process that stems from the woman's need to find the man with 'the best seed, the best DNA, the best chance to make a really strong, healthy baby,' Perl said.
Evolution has driven women to unconsciously strive to find the 'most potent male' for reproduction, which has historically been the Alpha male, according to Perl, who owns 'The Marriage Therapist' practice with his wife, Ruth.
This is part of the 'good genes hypothesis' that suggests women choose mates based on who has the best genetic qualities to produce children that would have a strong survival rate.
Unfortunately, these types of men don't hang around, leading women to move on to 'the nice guy' because they 'need someone who's gonna provide and protect to give her offspring the best chance at success,' Perl said in a TikTok video.
'I think this goes back to the way we've evolved in general and this is not something that women do consciously, but what women are looking for is the best chance for their eggs to be impregnated and then survive,' he added.
In 2012, researchers at the University of Texas-San Antonio reported similar findings that showed women's ovulation period motivated them to find someone they wouldn't normally gravitate toward.
'Under the hormonal influence of ovulation, women delude themselves into thinking that the sexy bad boys will become devoted partners and better dads,' Kristina Durante, the study's lead author said at the time.
'When looking at the sexy cad through ovulation goggles, Mr. Wrong looked exactly like Mr. Right.'
Evolution has driven women to unconsciously strive to find the 'most potent male' for reproduction
The researchers had women view online dating profiles of both sexy and reliable men during both her on and off periods of ovulation and they were asked to select which man they believed would have a better paternal contribution.
During ovulation, women believed the 'sexy' man would contribute more to domestic duties like caring for the child, cooking, shopping for food and helping with household chores.
'When asked about what kind of father the sexy bad boy would make if he were to have children with another woman, women were quick to point out the bad boy's shortcomings,' said Durante.
'But when it came to their [hypothetical] own child, ovulating women believed that the charismatic and adventurous dad would be a great father to their kids.'
This compares to a separate 2010 study that found women chose nice guys for long-term partners, ranking men who were altruistic as more attractive, and revealing they prefer men who are sensitive, easy-going and confident.
'Because [the bad boy] doesn't stay around, [women] look for the better guy, which is the nice guy who generally will stay around for them,' Perl said in the video.
To provide and protect, to look after the children and it's just the way we've evolved,' he continued, adding: 'And don't shoot me - I'm just the messenger.'