Are men with penis size insecurities more likely to own a gun? US sociologists investigate!
Jun 12, 2024, 17:38 IST
If you’re an avid social media user, chances are you've stumbled across the term “small d*ck energy” (SDE). It even garnered international attention during an online feud between Andrew Tate and Greta Thunberg in late 2022, when the climate activist famously redirected Tate's concerns to “smalld*ckenergy@getalife.com”.
For the uninitiated, SDE describes insecure behaviour rooted in feelings of inadequacy. This insecurity can manifest in various ways, from belittling others to constantly trying to assert dominance.
In the United States, a country infamous for its gun culture, there's a prevalent belief among some that men who own guns do so out of masculine insecurity. Some even argue that compensating for perceived shortcomings, such as having a small penis, drives gun ownership.
Now, researchers have put this hypothesis to the test.
A team of sociologists from The University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas A&M University and Florida State University tested the supposition that men dissatisfied with their penis size are more inclined to possess a firearm.
Before you let your imaginations run wild on how researchers collected the data, let us clarify that this research was solely based on data from the 2023 ‘Masculinity, Sexual Health and Politics’ survey. It included questions about gun ownership and satisfaction with penis size, allowing researchers to explore any connection between the two.
The findings, surprising to say the least, debunked the common assumptions.
To begin with, the researchers found no evidence suggesting that men unhappy with their penis size were more likely to purchase firearms. Secondly, and more importantly, they found that men who were satisfied with their penis size were slightly more likely to buy a gun!
Naturally, you may wonder how reliable this conclusion is, since the data was based on subjective responses from the participants. And you would be right—researchers do admit that no causal or temporal inferences can be made, as the analysis is based on a cross-sectional design and because penis dissatisfaction is measured with single-item self-reports.
The research team also recommends that future research must develop more reliable multi-item indices and consider more valid and direct measurements of penis size.
The researchers speculate that testosterone levels, rather than penis size satisfaction, might play a significant role. Men experience a loss of testosterone after age 30, but some witness a rebound after age 50—a coincidence that might possibly influence gun-buying tendencies.
All in all, it's clear there's more to the story than meets the eye. While it's tempting to draw straight lines between gun ownership and satisfaction levels, the reality seems to be a bit more complicated. After all, who would've thought that satisfaction with one's package might have anything to do with whether they're packing heat?
This study was recently published in the American Journal of Men's Health and can be accessed here.
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For the uninitiated, SDE describes insecure behaviour rooted in feelings of inadequacy. This insecurity can manifest in various ways, from belittling others to constantly trying to assert dominance.
In the United States, a country infamous for its gun culture, there's a prevalent belief among some that men who own guns do so out of masculine insecurity. Some even argue that compensating for perceived shortcomings, such as having a small penis, drives gun ownership.
Now, researchers have put this hypothesis to the test.
Is buying guns an SDE behaviour?
A team of sociologists from The University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas A&M University and Florida State University tested the supposition that men dissatisfied with their penis size are more inclined to possess a firearm.
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The findings, surprising to say the least, debunked the common assumptions.
Study guns down the hypothesis, confesses limitations
To begin with, the researchers found no evidence suggesting that men unhappy with their penis size were more likely to purchase firearms. Secondly, and more importantly, they found that men who were satisfied with their penis size were slightly more likely to buy a gun!
Naturally, you may wonder how reliable this conclusion is, since the data was based on subjective responses from the participants. And you would be right—researchers do admit that no causal or temporal inferences can be made, as the analysis is based on a cross-sectional design and because penis dissatisfaction is measured with single-item self-reports.
The research team also recommends that future research must develop more reliable multi-item indices and consider more valid and direct measurements of penis size.
Testosterone the true trigger?
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Interestingly, the study’s findings that men satisfied with their penis size were more likely to buy a gun was noted to be strongest among men aged 18 to 29 and 45 to 50, while it was weakest among those over 60.The researchers speculate that testosterone levels, rather than penis size satisfaction, might play a significant role. Men experience a loss of testosterone after age 30, but some witness a rebound after age 50—a coincidence that might possibly influence gun-buying tendencies.
All in all, it's clear there's more to the story than meets the eye. While it's tempting to draw straight lines between gun ownership and satisfaction levels, the reality seems to be a bit more complicated. After all, who would've thought that satisfaction with one's package might have anything to do with whether they're packing heat?
This study was recently published in the American Journal of Men's Health and can be accessed here.