New Research Reveals Why Many Men Value Larger Penises

Many men are concerned with the size of their penis, and many seem to value large ones. Documentary movies have been made about this concern¹ , and a president has both been poked fun at for allegedly having a small one^2,3, and has praised others for apparently having large ones⁴. South Korea has even established a theme park honoring penises⁶. American magazines, websites, and late-night TV are flooded with ads for various penis enlargement treatments, and men are still forking out thousands of dollars for penis enlargements⁷. One study of over 25,000 men found that 45% wanted to have a larger penis.⁸

People might surmise that men value large penises because women have a sexual preference for a larger penis. However, research does not support this explanation. In one survey, only 20% of women reported that the length of their partner’s penis was “important” to their sexual satisfaction, with 55% reporting that it was “unimportant,” and 20% “totally unimportant”.⁹

To some, men’s interest in penis size is laughable and should not be a topic of serious scientific inquiry. However, concern over penis size is related to lower self-esteem, poorer sexual satisfaction and functioning, and negative consequences for relationships and mental and physical health.^10-14 These findings suggest that this concern may in fact be a consequential body-image issue with possible negative effects on men’s feelings of self-worth.

To our knowledge, no research has examined psychological variables that contribute to men’s interest in penis size. My colleagues and I approached this issue through the lens of symbolic self-completion theory. This theory posits that we all have aspirations or goals for ourselves or identities. These goals can vary in importance to ourselves. When we are threatened or find ourselves failing to meet these important goals, we feel incomplete. To cope with this sense of incompleteness, we strive to show others that we are complete by displaying alternative symbols of success. So, if we strive to be a successful businessman and are failing, we might be more likely to dress the part, to show others that we are successful. Or, if we are an academic who is not very successful at conducting and publishing research, we might prominently display our degrees and titles.¹⁵

Based on symbolic self-completion theory and other research¹⁶, we hypothesized that a large penis might serve as a symbol of masculinity. It might seem strange to think of men displaying a large penis as a symbol of masculinity, since the overt display of the penis is prohibited in many contexts. However, men do have opportunities to notice other men’s penises, whether in the locker room or as an outline through clothing.

We tested this idea by measuring the degree to which men felt stressed about fulfilling the masculine role (i.e., with questions asked about difficulty expressing tender feelings, being outperformed by women, lack of ambition, and career and sexual failure).¹⁷ We found that the more they felt stressed about their masculinity, the more they valued a large penis. We also tested the idea experimentally, by assigning men to answer questions that would cause them to feel insecure about their masculinity (or would cause them to feel secure). We found that those who wrote about their experiences of being threatened in their masculinity felt more humiliated, and they also expressed a greater value for a large penis. Moreover, the more they felt humiliated after writing, the more they valued a large penis.¹⁸

What does this theory say about penis size concerns? A large penis may be a symbol of masculinity. When men feel like they are not living up to prescribed masculine roles, they may be more likely to value having a large penis and more likely to desire having one. This also raises the possibility that when a man is distressed about the size of his penis, the concern may come from a deeper place: insecurity about fulfilling the masculine role more generally. This new research may also shed light on why Freud seemed fixated on penises and how more men than women may have penis envy.

Cindy Harmon-Jones, the lead author on this research, co-authored this blog post.