Why are women more attracted to 'bad men'

During a discussion on America's NPR, human rights lawyer Arsalan Iftikhar expressed his surprise that singer Rihanna still reportedly liked Chris Brown, who he said 'didn't only hit Rihanna, he made her look like Buster Douglas'.

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National Review writer Kevin D Williamson however, pointed out, that she might not be able to help it because it's in her genes to like men like Chris Brown.

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Writing in a blog following the show this week he cited several pieces of research that back up his view, including the much quoted 'Dark Triad' work of Professor Peter Jonason.

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This combines the self-obsession of narcissism, the impulsive, thrill-seeking and callous behaviour of the psychopath and the deceitful and exploitative nature of Machiavellianism.

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However unattractive the combination might appear, women often equate it with masculinity and the ability to father healthy children.

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As a result, those looking for the thrill of an affair, or hoping to become pregnant, are very often drawn to 'bad boys'.

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The men, in return, raise their chances of passing their genes on to the next generation.

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Scientist Jonason said James Bond is the perfect example of a ladykiller with a rather questionable personality.

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"He's clearly disagreeable, very extroverted and likes trying new thingsu00a0 - killing people, new women," the Daily Mail quoted the researcher as telling the New Scientist.

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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.

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The subjects were also quizzed about their attitudes to sexual relationships and about their sex lives, including how many partners they had and whether they sought out flings.

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The results revealed that men who scored higher on the trio of traits tended to have more partners and more interest in short-term relationships.

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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.

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"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," researcher Professor David Schmitt, of Bradley University in Illinois, said.

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The researchers also claimed 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.

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Otherwise others would become more wary and guarded and the strategy would backfire.

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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.

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