This article was written by Cindy Kuzma and provided by our partners at Men’s Health.

There’s a scientific reason for why he loves fondling his junk so much…

Think about how most dudes like to relax: they plop on the couch, put on a TV show, kick up their feet . . . and slide their hands down their pants. Many men naturally reach for their junk both in private and in public without batting an eye. This includes fully submerging their hands in their underwear, occasionally reaching down to adjust their package, or even just playing a little pocket pool.

So how come they do it? These three surprising reasons might explain why.

READ MORE: 10 Things you should NEVER do to his crown jewels!

1. It Protects His Package

Lodging his hands between his precious jewels and the potential hazards of the outside world makes him feel comfortable and safe, says Vanessa Van Edwards, author of Human Lie Detection and Body Language 101: Your Guide to Reading People’s Nonverbal Behavior.

Guys subconsciously default to this position when they relax because they feel more at ease with their essential organs out of harm’s way. “You could think of the hand there like insurance against a friend who might give them a nut jab or a kid who accidentally hits a ball at them,” says Van Edwards. Maybe this explains why Major League Baseball players are constantly readjusting their junk at the plate. (And he’s right to be a little careful. Here are the 4 worst sex positions for his penis.)

2. It Eases His Nerves

Is he about to make a big pitch or close a deal? Rubbing his stomach or other body parts in a non-erotic way triggers the release of oxytocin, a calming hormone, according to a study in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
That may be why touching his junk can be soothing. But since massaging his groin in a board room could get him fired, Van Edwards recommends nervous public speakers stroke or touch their arms or the backs of their necks to reduce anxiety.

READ MORE: “This is the hottest thing a woman has ever done to me during sex.”

3. It Helps Him Assert His Dominance

Facing a business rival with his hands in his pants could mean he’s consciously or subconsciously trying to establish who’s boss, says Rob Kominiarek, a family physician and founder of the Alpha Male Medical Institute. Telling other guys to back off by pointing to his junk helps him mark his territory, he says. Evolutionarily speaking, he who mates the most wins – even if these days, that means landing clients and accounts rather than producing offspring.

Looking for more? This is why men are always so horny in the morning, according to science.