Overview
- Published in PLOS Biology, the University of Western Australia study used anatomically scaled computer-generated male figures that varied in penis size, height and body shape.
- More than 600 men rated perceived threat and over 200 women rated sexual attractiveness, with larger sizes associated with higher scores on both measures.
- Women’s attractiveness ratings climbed with size before reaching a plateau at the largest figures, whereas men’s perceptions of threat continued to rise without a clear ceiling.
- The authors report the effect of penis size on attractiveness was estimated at four to seven times larger than its effect as a signal of fighting ability.
- Similar patterns emerged for height and a V-shaped torso, and the researchers note limits including a heterosexual, cisgender focus and simplified stimuli that exclude faces, voices and personality.