Scarlett Johansson is attracted to bad boys.

The 27-year-old actress - who dated Sean Penn for five months this year after her marriage to Ryan Reynolds ended last December - likes men who challenge authority and are adventurous, but she doesn't care how they are perceived by other people.

She said: "I'm attracted to the quality of being adventurous and perhaps a bit mischievous. And also questioning authority and being proactive.

"If that makes up a quintessential bad boy, then whatever."

While she likes bad boys, Scarlett insists she won't tolerate nastiness or bullying behaviour.

She added in an interview with America's Cosmopolitan magazine: "I'm not at all attracted to meanness or bullying.

"I do think conviction is attractive. I mean, really, who doesn't?"

As well as dating Sean, the 'We Bought a Zoo' actress has been romantically linked with stars including Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha and Joseph Gordon-Levitt since she split from Ryan, but the 'Green Lantern' actor recently admitted he has not found it easy to move on.

He said: "Anyone who gets divorced goes through a lot of pain but you come out of it.

"I'm not out of it yet, at all. I don't think I want to get married again."