From When Harry Met Sally to Bridget Jones, many rom-coms show that the "good boy" always wins the heart of the pretty girl.
But according to a new study, that doesn't seem to match reality. Swedish researchers have found that in real life, nice guys are less likely to be in a relationship than "bad guys."
The study showed that traits like kindness and agreeableness are less attractive to women, compared to traits like confidence, aggressiveness, and being extroverted.
"Good, smart guys were less likely to have partners," said Filip Fors Connolly, a psychology professor at Umea University.
"While an aggressive and extroverted male may receive positive responses when approaching a potential partner."
Bad guys vs. good guys
The “bad boy” trait includes being confident, extroverted, and a strong-willed attitude, often appearing carefree to women to keep them interested. He may have negative tendencies such as lying, manipulation, and even psychopathic traits.
On the other hand, the "good guy" is open, honest, kind, caring, and humorous, and on screen often appears to have more success in love.
How was the study conducted?
Researchers sent questionnaires to 3,800 adults in Sweden, Denmark and Australia, measuring personality traits according to the "Big Five" model: conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.
The results showed a negative association between wisdom in men and the likelihood of having a partner. In other words, the wiser a man was, the less likely he was to have a relationship.
On the other hand, extroverted men – typically a “bad boy” trait – were more likely to be in a relationship. Men who displayed neurotic feelings were less likely to have a partner, although this trait can be seen in both “good guys” and “bad guys.”
Women and the characteristics of wisdom
For women, the results were different: more conscientious women were no more likely to have a partner than less conscientious women. Women with higher levels of neuroticism were slightly more likely to be in a relationship.
The researchers point out that being wise is not a negative trait for men, on the contrary: it is positively associated with relationship satisfaction in both sexes. It's just that wise men are less likely to find a partner in the first place.
"The traits that help you enter a relationship are not necessarily what make it satisfying," said Mikael Goossen, co-author of the study.
The study suggests that confidence, aggressiveness and dominance remain attractive in men, while empathy and emotional warmth are more desirable in women.
This may explain why "nice guys" often finish last, even though they can be excellent partners once they enter a relationship. /GazetaExpress/
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