Why bad boy Bond will always get the girl

This is a piece we found by Fiona Macrae (accessed 8/9/09) which we thought you might find interesting!

It is something most nice guys have learned by bitter experience - bad boys tend to get the girls.

Now scientists have shown it really does pay to have a mean streak - with callous, self-obsessed, deceitful men proving the biggest hit with the ladies. Extensive studies show that women the world over find it hard to resist a cad.

The secret of his appeal, it seems, lies in three nasty personality traits said to be epitomised in James Bond. Licensed to thrill: Now scientists have revealed that women find it hard to resist callous, self-obsessed and deceitful men: The so-called 'dark triad'.

Unattractive as the combination might appear, women often equate it with masculinity - and the ability to father healthy children. As a result, those looking for the thrill of an affair, or hoping to become pregnant, are drawn to 'bad boys'. The men, in return, raise their chances of passing their genes on to the next generation.

Scientist Peter Jonason said James Bond is the perfect example of a ladykiller with a rather questionable personality. 'He's clearly disagreeable, very extroverted and likes trying new things. Mr Jonason, of New Mexico State University in the U.S., subjected 200 college students to personality tests designed to rank them for each of their dark triad traits. They were also asked about their attitudes to sexual relationships and about their sex lives, including how many partners they had and whether they sought out flings. The results showed that men who scored higher on the trio of traits tended to have more partners and more interest in short-term relationships.

A second U.S. study of 35,000 people in 57 countries also found a clear link between the dark triad traits in men and success with women. Researcher Professor David Schmitt, of Bradley University in Illinois, said: 'It's universal across cultures for high dark triad scorers to be more active in short-term mating. They are more likely to try and poach other people's partners for a brief affair.' The researchers said that at their most extreme, the traits would be highly unattractive, leading to men being shut off from society.

But one possibility is that the strategy is most successful when dark triad personalities are rare. Otherwise others would become more wary and guarded and the strategy would backfire.

In any case, nice guys need not lose all hope. Dr Gayle Brewer, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Central Lancashire, said that while women tend to like cads for flings, they usually settle down with more caring types.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1027498/Why-bad-boy-Bond-girl.html#ixzz0NhCtNtAx