Why some women develop romantic interests in fictional “bad boys”

Many popular movies and television shows feature the archetype of the “bad boy”—a character who is often rebellious, tough, and emotionally unavailable, yet still captivating. A recent study explored why some women develop romantic feelings for these kinds of characters in media. Women who enjoy playful, uncommitted relationships and seek excitement in life are more likely to form these one-sided romantic connections with fictional “bad boys,” and that these connections can evoke feelings of power and imaginative engagement.

The fascination with “bad boys” is a well-documented cultural phenomenon. From classic literature to modern film, these characters capture attention and often romantic interest. In media, the “bad boy” often embodies stereotypical masculine traits like dominance, aggression, and emotional stoicism. While these traits might seem off-putting, they can, under certain circumstances, be perceived as attractive, particularly within the realm of fiction.

Researchers in media psychology became interested in understanding this attraction in the context of movies and television. They wanted to investigate what personality traits might make women more prone to developing romantic parasocial relationships – essentially, one-sided relationships where a person feels emotionally connected to a fictional character – with these “bad boy” figures. Furthermore, the study aimed to uncover the feelings and experiences women associate with these unique types of media relationships. By exploring these connections, the researchers hoped to shed light on the psychological underpinnings of why the “bad boy” trope holds such enduring appeal for some women.

To investigate these questions, researchers designed an online survey. They recruited 47 women and asked them to participate if they could identify a “bad boy” character from a movie or television series they felt romantically interested in. The average age of the participants was approximately 23 years old, and the majority identified as heterosexual, though a notable portion identified as bisexual. The survey was designed to measure several aspects: the women’s personality traits, the strength of their romantic parasocial relationship with their chosen “bad boy,” and their feelings and experiences related to this relationship.

To measure romantic parasocial relationships, the researchers used a set of eleven statements designed to assess the intensity of romantic feelings towards the fictional character. Participants rated their agreement with statements like “I feel a strong romantic connection with this character.” To understand the feelings associated with these relationships, the study measured several factors. “Retrospective imaginative involvement” was assessed using seven statements that gauged how much participants mentally replayed and elaborated on the character’s story after watching the media. Statements included things like “I often think about what might happen next in the story of this character.” “Sense of autonomy,” or feelings of independence, was measured with three statements. “Sense of power,” or feelings of control and influence, was assessed using six statements. “Self-esteem,” reflecting feelings of self-worth, was measured using six statements.

To explore personality traits that might predict these romantic parasocial relationships, the survey included measures of “sensation seeking,” “love style ludus,” “helper urge,” and “narcissism.” “Sensation seeking,” measured with six statements, gauged a person’s tendency to pursue new and exciting experiences. “Love style ludus,” measured with four statements, describes a playful, uncommitted approach to love, where romance is seen as a game and commitment is avoided. “Helper urge,” measured with six statements, assessed the tendency to feel compassionate and want to care for others. Finally, “narcissism,” measured with seven statements, explored traits associated with self-centeredness and a need for admiration. For each of these measures, participants responded to statements using scales that allowed them to indicate their level of agreement.

After collecting the data, the researchers analyzed the responses to see if any of the measured personality traits predicted the strength of romantic parasocial relationships with “bad boys.” They also examined whether these relationships were associated with specific feelings and experiences like power, autonomy, self-esteem, and imaginative engagement.

The study revealed some interesting findings. Contrary to what the researchers initially thought, narcissism and the urge to help were not found to predict romantic parasocial relationships with “bad boys.” However, two personality traits did emerge as significant predictors: love style ludus and sensation seeking. This means that women who tend to approach love in a playful and uncommitted way, and those who have a strong desire for excitement and new experiences, were more likely to report forming romantic parasocial relationships with “bad boy” characters in movies and television.

Furthermore, the study found that having a romantic parasocial relationship with a “bad boy” was linked to certain feelings and experiences. Specifically, these relationships were associated with an increased sense of power and greater retrospective imaginative involvement. This suggests that women who develop these fictional romances may experience a boost in their sense of control or influence, and they also tend to engage more deeply with the character’s story in their minds after viewing the media. Interestingly, the study did not find a significant link between these relationships and changes in self-esteem or sense of autonomy.

These findings offer some initial insights into why “bad boys” in media can be romantically appealing to certain women. The results suggest that the attraction might be rooted in a desire for excitement and a preference for less conventional, perhaps even slightly risky, romantic scenarios, at least within the safe space of fiction. The fact that these relationships are linked to a sense of power is also noteworthy, suggesting that the dynamic of the “bad boy” narrative, perhaps with its undertones of dominance and control, might resonate with certain psychological needs or desires. The connection to imaginative involvement highlights the immersive nature of these parasocial relationships, showing that they extend beyond the viewing experience and become part of a woman’s ongoing mental landscape.

It is important to consider the limitations of this study. The study was correlational, meaning it can show associations between factors, but it cannot prove that certain personality traits directly cause women to form these romantic parasocial relationships. It is also possible that other unmeasured factors contribute to this phenomenon.The sample size of 47 women, while deemed sufficient for the statistical analyses conducted, is relatively small, which might limit the generalizability of the findings to a larger population of women.

“Despite the limitations, this first study on this topic clearly shows the potential of media psychological research on media-transmitted bad boys as embodiments of male dominance and their effect on women,” the researchers concluded. “Since half of the hypotheses were confirmed, the findings as a whole do indicate that the phenomenon of male dominance attracting specific women can be transferred to the media context.”

“Possible future studies could now take a closer look at the effects of bad boys on certain women and clearly demonstrate these effects in experimental settings. Of particular interest, however, are the long-term effects that parasocial interaction with such bad boys can have on the behavior of young women. Especially, the RII showed great potential. The RII indicates a strong influence of the bad boy narrative and enables a distinction to be made between the peri-receptively experienced and post-receptively imagined narrative, which could become the focus of follow-up studies.”

The study, “The attraction of evil. An investigation of factors explaining women’s romantic parasocial relationships with bad guys in movies and series,” was authored by Holger Schramm and Annika Sartorius.