Penis Size Matters For Men, But Mainly In The Locker Room

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - Men who reported a larger-than-average penis size had higher self-esteem, better general health and higher overall body satisfaction than those with an average or below-average penis size, says Annabel Chan, 29, a researcher with Victoria University.
When it comes to the penis, size does matter to men - but this has more to do with the locker room than the bedroom.
"Men are more concerned about how their overall body size compares to the perceived male ideal than they are about how their size might impact on their sexual relations," said Chan, the study's principal researcher.
She said the average flaccid penis size found in her study was 8.5cm (3.4 inches) and the average aroused penis size was 16cm (6.3 inches).
Chan is delving deep into the male psyche as part of the university's study into penis size, body image and mental health.
And the investigation, one of the first of its kind, has revealed "locker room syndrome" is rife.
Chan studied at Singapore's Tanjong Katong Girls' School and Tampines Junior College before moving to the United Kingdom to study psychology and graphic design. Now she's breaking new ground as she completes her PhD in clinical psychology at VU in Melbourne.
More than 700 men aged 18-76 from 43 countries were surveyed for the study, which found that men who reported a larger-than-average penis size had higher self esteem, better general health and higher overall body satisfaction than those with an average or below-average penis size.
Most respondents, 67.3 percent, said they believed they would feel better about themselves if they had a bigger penis.
The study also revealed that men who were happy with the size of their penis were less likely to engage in online dating or to use the erectile dysfunction drug, Viagra.
Chan said, because a large penis was considered a cultural ideal, the survey results were not a great surprise, but they provided fresh insight into male perceptions about their bodies.
Less than 6 percent of respondents were satisfied with their body size, with 89.7 percent wanting to be bigger.
Overweight men were found to have lower self esteem and higher body dissatisfaction, and to use the internet more for socialising.
"We have relatively little data about the body image of men because most of the research in this area concentrates on women," Chan said.
"It means men don't really get much help in terms of therapy, and options out there to get help."
from Bernama