Men are often told that the bigger the better when it comes to penis size.
And a new study suggests that might be true — at least in terms of perceived personality.
Researchers at New Mexico Highlands University say men with large penises and trimmed pubic hair are seen as more attractive, extroverted, and open to new experiences, while men with smaller limbs are seen as more neurotic.
“This research shows that genital appearance can contribute to socially shared implicit theories about people, regardless of whether these impressions reflect the true personality of the person being assessed,” the researchers write in their study.
Researchers at New Mexico Highlands University say men with large penises and trimmed pubic hair are seen as more attractive, extroverted, and open to new experiences, while men with smaller limbs are seen as more neurotic
In the study, the team looked at how people perceive men’s personalities based on their penis alone.
The team, led by Thomas R. Brooks, wrote in Sexuality & Culture magazine: “Dating app users probably often view sexually explicit material from potential partners before a physical meeting.
“The present study aimed to investigate what information can be derived from an image of a penis without acquaintance.”
The team recruited 106 participants (80 percent women) for the study, who were shown photos of 24 penises that varied in girth, length, and amount of pubic hair.
After viewing each photo, participants were asked to answer 11 questions:
- This is a prototypical/stereotypical penis.
- This is an attractive penis.
- This person is sexually active.
- This person would be good in bed.
- This person is extroverted, enthusiastic.
- This person is reliable, self-disciplined.
- This person is anxious and easily upset.
- This person is open to new experiences, complex.
- This person is sympathetic, warm-hearted.
- Would this person be an active member of gender (pleaser) or a passive member of gender (pillow princess)?
- How many sexual partners do you think this person has had?
Findings showed important associations between penis size, pubic hair and various personality traits (stock image)
The results showed important associations between penis size, pubic hair and perceived personality traits.
In terms of length, short penises were associated with more neuroticism, while men with long penises were seen as more attractive, more sexually active, better in bed, more extroverted, more conscientious, and more open to new experiences.
When it came to girth, men with small penises were considered more neurotic.
In contrast, those with wide penises were perceived as more sexually active, better in bed, more extroverted, more open to new experiences, more agreeable, and had more sexual partners.
Finally, it seems that trimmed pubic hair is the best option for men.
In terms of length, short penises were associated with more neuroticism, while men with long penises were seen as more attractive, more sexually active, better in bed, more outgoing, more conscientious, and more open to new experiences (stock image)
“Penises with trimmed pubic hair were perceived as more prototypical and attractive,” the researchers write.
“However, while they were perceived to be more conscientious than untrimmed pubic hair, they were not significantly different from fully shaved pubic hair.”
Overall, the results suggest that an impression of men can be formed based on the penis alone.
“While most research has prioritized facial images and biographies of potential partners, the present results go a step further to examine how images of penises can contribute to the holistic perception of the person in digital spaces,” the researchers said.
They now hope to conduct further studies that actually assess men’s personalities to see how they compare to perceptions based solely on their penises.
