Freud was famously obsessed with penises. So much so, that in his Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, he expanded his theories of dream interpretation to say that weapons, particularly guns, were a phallic symbol.
Now, researchers from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) have, for the first time, tested the hypothesis – and the assumption long-held in popular culture – that men who are dissatisfied with the size of their penis are more likely to own a gun.
“Although the association between penis size and personal gun ownership has been a persistent topic in popular culture, it has escaped any direct empirical analysis,” said the researchers. “The primary hypothesis, derived from the psychosexual theory of gun ownership, stated that men who are more dissatisfied with the size of their penises would be more likely to personally own guns.”
The researchers used data from the 2023 Masculinity, Sexual Health, and Politics (MSHAP) survey, the primary purpose of which was to document the intersection between masculinity, sexual health and politics in the US. They then set about testing their hypothesis on 1,840 men by asking them if they personally owned any guns or firearms, any semi-automatic or fully-automatic military-style rifles, and how many they owned.
They also assessed penis size satisfaction, asking participants to indicate their overall level of satisfaction on a scale from 1 (completely satisfied) to 7 (completely dissatisfied). Respondents were also asked whether they’d ever used any penis enlargement methods, such as penis pumps, weights, stretching exercises, supplements, creams, or surgeries.
Of the men who participated in the study, 43% reported personally owning a gun, and 11% reported owning a military-style rifle. Participants reported low levels of dissatisfaction with penis size, and only 7% of men had used a method of penis enlargement.
“Our analysis consistently failed to support the hypothesis,” the researchers said. “Instead, we found that rates of gun ownership were similar for men who had attempted penis enlargement and men who had no experiences with penis enlargement. We also observed that men who were less dissatisfied with the size of their penises were more likely to own guns across outcomes, including any gun ownership, military-style rifle ownership, and the total number of guns owned.”
While the association between penis size dissatisfaction and gun ownership was strongest among men aged 18 to 29 and 45 to 59, it was weakest in those 60 and over. The researchers suggest that one explanation might be the decline in testosterone at around 30, followed by a rebound at 50. Alternatively, they say that the social constructionist theories of gender may apply. That is, cultural definitions and portrayals of masculinity vary dramatically across the lifespan, and men may think differently about their bodies – including their penises – before 30 than they do later in life.
Either way, it’s good to finally put the issue to bed.
The researchers disclosed that data collection for the study was financially supported by the organization Change the Ref, whose mission is “Shifting America’s social response to gun violence by uniting creativity, activism, disruption, and education.” The researchers state that although Change the Ref has a clear anti-gun stance, it played no role in the planning or implementation of the study.
The study was published in the American Journal of Men’s Health.
