Romantic parasocial relationships are one-sided emotional bonds people form with media figures—such as celebrities or even fictional characters. Unlike real-life relationships, parasocial connections lack reciprocity. However, they can evoke genuine feelings of emotional attachment and physical attraction.
A 2024 report published in Frontiers in Psychology examines why some women are particularly drawn to the “bad boy” archetype in TV and film.
“The bad boy is an attractive man with a conflicted personality, characterized by dominant juvenile masculinities, i.e., aggression, rebellion and hypersexuality, and subordinate appealing qualities in the form of charisma, robustness and sensitivity,” the researchers write.
“A particularly well-known example is the protagonist Christian Grey from the trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey, played by Jamie Dornan in the movie. As a media figure, the bad boy reflects social expectations of men through his dominant, violent, tough and unemotional portrayal,” the researchers add.
Researchers asked 47 women about their parasocial relationship preferences and found that personality traits, love styles and cultural influences play significant roles in fuelling these connections.
Here are two reasons why many people can’t resist a “bad boy” on screen, according to research.
1. A Game-Playing Love Style
Researchers found that the “Ludus” love style as described by John Alan Lee—which prioritizes playful, unattached love—emerges as a key predictor of romantic parasocial relationships with fictional bad boys. Individuals with this love style tend to seek excitement, fun and adventure, and relationships that are emotionally thrilling, but noncommittal.
Interestingly, researchers also found that this preference is also tied to sensation-seeking, a personality trait referring to the desire for novel and intense experiences. Women with high levels of sensation-seeking are more likely to be drawn to the highs and lows of a bad boy narrative, where danger and passion intermingle.
“A romantic parasocial relationship to a bad boy promises short-term intense romantic experiences, which may be fueled by the need for sexual freedom in the form of the pronounced love style Ludus and by the need for sensation seeking,” the researchers explain.
Romantic Parasocial relationships can also evoke a sense of power in viewers. By imagining themselves in relationships with bad boys, women may experience what researchers call “retrospective imaginative involvement,” where they can mentally act out scenarios that feel empowering or exciting.
2. The Halo Effect
A character’s physical attractiveness can cause us to overlook and justify their harmful behavior on-screen, due to the “Halo Effect,” where one predominant positive quality—in this case, attractiveness—contributes to an oversimplified, overall positive impression of another person.
This cognitive bias can cause viewers to ignore undesirable behaviors such as aggression or emotional unavailability, because they are mesmerized by the character’s charm, good looks and potential for redemption.
Additionally, the bad boy archetype is deeply embedded in cultural narratives. Media often portrays bad boys as embodying idealized masculinity, creating a template for what is considered desirable. This portrayal reinforces social expectations of male dominance while simultaneously offering a glimpse of vulnerability that makes the character relatable.
The trope of the “good girl” saving the bad boy further amplifies this dynamic. Stories like these can tap into a rescue fantasy, where love and care are seen as transformative forces capable of redeeming a troubled man.
This narrative may be especially appealing to women who derive self-esteem from helping others or those who have been conditioned to believe that they should play the saviour in romantic relationships.
While such relationships can provide a safe space to explore one’s emotions and romantic desires at a distance, without the risks of a real-life relationship with a bad boy, the emotional involvement in these one-sided relationships can shape real-life expectations, sometimes creating unrealistic ideals of love and romance.
In real life, relationships with “bad boys” are hardly fulfilling, long-lasting or safe. The awareness of parasocial attraction can empower sensation-seeking viewers to enjoy the escapism of these narratives while remembering to prioritize healthier, more grounded expectations in their personal relationships.
So, the next time you find yourself falling for a villain on screen, take a moment to reflect on what draws you in—and use that insight to seek out real-life connections that offer excitement without compromising your emotional well-being.
Curious whether you have a tendency to develop strong parasocial connections? Take this science-backed test to find out: Celebrity Attitude Scale
