Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Who's Gotta Thing For You?: Examining the Sexual Appeal of the Bad Boy Archetype

Abstract

Mass media messages transcending genres and generations lead many of us to believe that nice guys finish behind bad boys in the mate selection process, particularly in short-term contexts. However, evidence for the validity of that claim is elusive. This dissertation takes an interdisciplinary approach to testing the enduring stereotype by mapping communication behaviors onto underlying biological and psychological mechanisms. In an experimental research design, 189 young, straight cisgender women were presented with online dating profiles manipulated by the author and asked to evaluate the depicted men on their physical attractiveness and short- and long-term mate appeal. Results failed to substantiate the bad boy stereotype, although the means for each hypothesis were in the predicted direction. Nevertheless, a significant main effect of testosterone on physical attractiveness was found, which is noteworthy because although phenotypic signs of high testosterone are not exclusive to bad boys, they represent a signature characteristic of the archetype. Interpretations and implications of the results are discussed with an emphasis on exploring explanations for their nonsignificance and avenues for future research.