Why Women Choose Nice Guys or Bad Boys

Understanding women's preferences for different types of men as mates.

• Research has compared women's preferences for different types of men (nice guys, bad boys, heroes, and losers).

• Generally, women who want support prefer nice guys, whereas women who want a fling prefer bad boys.

• Ultimately, however, many desire the hero, who is both supportive and attractive—but those men can be harder to find and harder to get.

Do nice guys finish last? Do women really prefer bad boys? Surfing through the Internet, especially men's dating forums, someone could definitely get that idea.
Nevertheless, what about the opposite story, where nice guys win in the end? Talking to family and friends, we've all heard about that happening, too. Sometimes, it seems, some women do pick and settle down with a nice guy.
So, anecdotes and personal stories aside, do women tend to pick nice guys or bad boys? More importantly, what motivates their mating choice? Let's look at the research to find out.
Why Women Choose Nice Guys or Bad Boys