The “femme fatale” might be a universal myth driven by the fear of romantic deception

A recent study published in the journal Social Sciences has found that stories about dangerous, attractive women are almost universal across different cultures. These cautionary tales suggest that men tend to fear the risks of emotional attachment and heartbreak just as much as they are drawn to physical beauty. Ultimately, this research indicates that the famous “femme fatale” character stems from human evolutionary psychology rather than simply local cultural attitudes.

William Jankowiak, a professor of anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, conducted this research to understand why the concept of the dangerous woman appears so frequently in human history. Jankowiak is also the author of several books, including the 2023 release Illicit Monogamy: Inside a Mormon Fundamentalist Community and the 2026 book Polygamy: The Basics. He wanted to see if these “femme fatale” narratives act as warnings about the evolutionary risks of choosing an untrustworthy partner.

“I’ve long been interested in human universals, which led me to evolutionary approaches to attraction and mating,” Jankowiak explained. “If men are widely attracted to youthful women, as some theories suggest, then we should also see cultural narratives—stories, warnings, or anxieties—about the potential risks of that attraction. This project grew out of that question: what fears or cautions accompany desire?”

Some social scientists propose that these stories arise primarily from social inequalities and a desire to control women. From this viewpoint, tales of manipulative women are a product of male dominance and specific societal structures. However, evolutionary scientists suggest a different explanation based on human mating psychology.

In evolutionary terms, physical attractiveness and youth serve as biological signals of health and reproductive potential. While men might be naturally drawn to these traits, pursuing a mate also involves significant risks. These risks include being deceived by a partner who is not genuinely committed to the relationship.

To answer his questions, Jankowiak analyzed folklore and historical stories from 84 different societies. The primary data came from a standardized sample of global cultures, which was supplemented with historical records and field observations. The researcher read all available tales from these collections to identify specific recurring themes.

The researcher looked for stories where a male character suffers harm, humiliation, or death after getting involved with a physically attractive but unfamiliar woman. Two independent graduate students reviewed the stories to ensure accuracy in identifying these themes. When there were disagreements, the stories were reviewed again, and three societies were removed from the study because a consensus could not be reached.

The sample included both egalitarian societies and stratified societies. In an egalitarian society, people of the same age and sex have relatively equal access to resources and power. In a stratified society, wealth and power are distributed unequally, helping the researcher determine if social inequality drives the creation of these stories.

The data showed that the dangerous woman motif is present in 79 out of the 84 sampled societies. This means that 94 percent of the cultures examined contain stories warning men about the dangers of attractive women. The researcher found that these tales appear consistently across both egalitarian and stratified societies.

This wide distribution suggests that the stories are not simply a result of unequal social structures or specific cultural biases. Instead, they reflect a shared human experience regarding the anxiety of mate selection. The tales act as culturally transmitted lessons that help guide behavior when people face uncertain romantic choices.

When looking at the motivations of the male characters, the findings tend to challenge traditional assumptions about male desires. In 42 out of the 48 societies where the man’s motivation was identifiable, the stories focused on emotional attachment or a desire for a long-term partnership. Only a very small number of stories framed temporary sexual gratification as the primary reason for the man’s involvement.

Regarding unexpected findings, Jankowiak said, “Yes. I expected concerns about sexual morality or ‘pollution’ to be more central, but instead the dominant anxiety was about deception—specifically, the fear of being misled after making an emotional or long-term commitment.” The stories typically depict a man who becomes overly attached to an idealized woman, which eventually leads to his downfall.

For instance, the research highlighted tales from various continents, such as stories of fox spirits in South America and Asia that trick men into destructive marriages. Other examples included Australian Aboriginal tales of water spirits who lure men to their deaths with enchanting songs. Men in these tales are rarely shown as aggressive predators, but are usually depicted as individuals who make poor judgments.

“Sexual and romantic encounters are often framed as deeply rewarding, but they also carry perceived risks,” Jankowiak noted. “My findings suggest that people experience them as both potentially wonderful and potentially dangerous, especially when commitment is involved.”

From an evolutionary perspective, men who overinvest in partners who are not committed face severe biological and social costs. The femme fatale narratives highlight the dangers of this one-sided emotional investment. “More broadly, the study highlights how cultural narratives and evolved concerns intersect,” Jankowiak explained.

“Attraction is not just about desire—it is also shaped by caution, storytelling, and the management of social risk,” he added. While these findings offer insight into human psychology, there are some limitations to consider. The presence of a theme in a society’s folklore does not mean that every single person in that culture shares the exact same fear.

Another point of consideration involves how researchers understand the motives of the characters in these tales. “One potential limitation is how we interpret ‘love’ in the findings,” Jankowiak stated. “I frame commitment as a primary motivation, but it could also be argued that concerns about deception are more fundamental, with commitment simply raising the stakes of that risk.”

Future research could explore how these narratives change over time as societies modernize and adapt to new social norms. Exploring modern views on relationships remains a focus for the researcher. “I’m currently working on a related project examining how young people in China conceptualize love, particularly the cognitive assumptions they hold about its role in sustaining a happy marriage,” Jankowiak shared.

The study, “Wanting Beauty, Fearing Beauty: Mate Preference, Intimacy, Deception, and the Femme Fatale,” was authored by William Jankowiak.