Perception vs. Reality
The pursuit of the “perfect penis” is more about perception than actual size. One study found that less than half of men are satisfied with their size. Most believe the ideal size is over 15 to 18 centimetres. In reality, the average size is about 13 cm.7
This false perception is not just rooted in the media but in medicine. Penis-size surveys fall victim to the inaccuracy of false self-reporting. Whether due to pornography, social comparison, or the media, many men feel undersized. To compensate, many participants in self-measuring studies overreport their results.
In a survey of college men:
- 30.8% self-reported their length at 18 centimetres or more.
- In reality, those measuring at 15 centimetres are considered to be in the 90th percentile.
- Nevertheless, a correlation was found between those who likely over reported their size and their scores on the social desirability scale.