If you’ve ever known a girl who dated a jerk and wondered why she was with him, then you’re probably a nice guy. You probably treat females with the utmost respect and usually never make the first move. In other words, you probably have a permanent seat reserved for yourself in the friend zone.

A lot of women like the alpha male, plain and simple. These jerks get girls so often because they exhibit confidence, assertiveness and charisma – classic male traits that attract the opposite sex. As much as they say they’d like a nice guy in their lives, the truth is most women just want someone who will take charge and dominate.

One of the main reasons why aggressive men succeed in the dating world lies in the sheer thrill they offer from the get-go. Their bold manner in approaching women can be seen as exciting for some, which may also lead to sparking an interest.

Sophomore music and English major Sarah Kraemer said guys who put themselves out there add flair to the courting process, which could be a reason why they usually have better luck with girls.

“I think girls feel like there is more excitement with guys who are not so nice, so as a result they tend to be more attracted to that type of guy,” Kraemer said. “It’s something that may be out of their comfort zone, and if they want to try new things that could also be a contributing factor.”

Some girls simply enjoy the task of trying to win a guy over in an unspoken struggle known as “the game.” The fact that jerks know how to play “the game” spices things up because they drive the chase and keep the seduction aspect alive.

“Girls like the chase and game of trying to get that guy to like them or come to them,” said senior liberal studies major Shelby Carney. “Jerks only talk to girls when it’s convenient for them or see girls when it’s convenient for them.”

Carney said “the game” was about masked intentions and that women knew how to play along just as well as men.

But even if a girl is aware of a guy’s dating schemes, jerks still have one key advantage. They are masters at detecting insecurity.

Here’s a typical scenario: A guy gets a girl’s number and doesn’t call her for a few days. Depending on the kind of impression he left, the girl might start to wonder why and begin blaming herself for his lack of interest. Then, when he finally does call, she’d be relieved and fall right back into the cycle of responding at his whim.

Junior kinesiology major Arika Griffith said that’s exactly how it usually plays out.

“(If) a guy doesn’t call in a week, the girl’s like: ‘Wait, what did I do wrong? Am I not cute enough; am I not attractive enough for you?’ That’s what keeps them interested,” Griffith said.

Besides being able to twist a woman’s emotions around his finger, the modern-day douchebag is also attractive. He is often stereotyped as handsome, fit and always in the gym. Basically, they’re good looking dudes and they know it.

Since a lot of girls consider these guys to be at the top of the food chain look-wise, they’re able to get away with being rude and obnoxious. Women will overlook their personality flaws because of the physical attraction they feel – just like men do with women sometimes.

Senior recreation, parks and tourism administration major Pilot Piotrowski attributed this arrogant ego to an elite mind set.

“Those alpha males know they’re the golden swans so they can go off and do whatever they want and see whoever they want. Unfortunately they get labeled douchebags because they have that ability,” Piotrowski said.

Surprisingly, this whole phenomenon could be a question of nature. Do women naturally respond to the alpha male because of how they’ve developed down the evolutionary line?

Professor Lisa Bohon, who teaches an evolutionary psychology course here at Sacramento State, said nature did in fact play in role in the type of men women select. She said women have a long list of what they’re looking for in a partner but the two key factors were access to resources and protection.

“In our evolutionary past, women who did choose men with resources had children who survived and reproduced. They don’t know why they like a man with resources – they just do…(If) their ancestors liked a man with resources, and they’re the children of women who liked male resources, then they will too,” said Bohon.

Bohon went on to say protection from a high status male was integral in choosing a mate.

“Status affords protection. So if you are a high status male, people aren’t going to pick on you or anyone related to you. If you’re a bad boy who’s aggressive, anyone who does that is going to be in trouble. Women look at that and think: ‘That’s really attractive, as long as he’s not like that with me or my children.’ Do they know why they like it? No, they don’t. But in the past, women who went with an aggressive male were less likely to be victimized and have their children victimized…(The theory) is definitely there, but it doesn’t explain all women,” Bohon said.

Clearly we can’t assume all girls like the most aggressive, cocky man. It’s simply not true. But in terms of engaging and attracting women, these guys definitely have what it takes to get the ball rolling.

They speak up and go for what they want, which is representative of a dominant male figure who will provide for and protect their woman – two evolutionarily appealing characteristics.

It’s kind of sad to know some girls will go for the jerk over the nice guy more often than not. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can change about the biological nature of someone. Sometimes you have to adapt.

Knowing when to turn the douchebag factor on and off could work to your advantage if you master the technique. It’s pretty much necessary if you really want to get in “the game.”

If you truly are a nice guy who would never think to play with a girl’s heart or hurt her in any way, try out the alpha male costume once in a while to see if it helps you attract women. This doesn’t mean you have to be a complete a–hole, but putting your passivity aside might help you meet the right person who you wouldn’t have otherwise met.

It’s risky, but playing it safe all the time won’t get you far in the realm of love. You have to leave old habits behind to reap new benefits and losing the nice guy image should be one of those.