Differences in effect of Height
While the effects of physical height on job success for men are well documented, it has been suggested that women would have a ceiling effect on height benefit, being negatively judged as too tall. However, Judge and Cable (2004) found that physical height was related to financial success for both men and women. Effects appeared to be slightly stronger in men, but this effect was not statistically significant. Egolf and Corder (1991) found differences in job status were linked to height in both genders.
This effect is generally suspected to be related to higher self-esteem in taller individuals. However, data on whether taller women have higher self-esteem seems sparse. Barry Harper (2000) found that tall women had a 5% disadvantage in marriage prospects compared to women of average height (short men were at a 7% disadvantage). Eisenberg et al (1984) found that mothers assigned harsher punishments to hypothetical tall girls (but not tall boys).
I'm not even going to pretend I don't have a bias here. I'm short. I wish I was taller. I'm significantly bothered by my height. I have considered extreme and possibly unsafe measures to increase my height. In terms of self image, height is my stumbling block -- and I'm not even that short. For a man, I fall well below the 5th percentile, but I'm between the 45-50th percentile for a woman - very, very close to average. I don't think I hold other people to my unreasonable standards for height, but I'm never sure how much I'm participating in the social conspiracy against people of short stature.
This effect is generally suspected to be related to higher self-esteem in taller individuals. However, data on whether taller women have higher self-esteem seems sparse. Barry Harper (2000) found that tall women had a 5% disadvantage in marriage prospects compared to women of average height (short men were at a 7% disadvantage). Eisenberg et al (1984) found that mothers assigned harsher punishments to hypothetical tall girls (but not tall boys).
I'm not even going to pretend I don't have a bias here. I'm short. I wish I was taller. I'm significantly bothered by my height. I have considered extreme and possibly unsafe measures to increase my height. In terms of self image, height is my stumbling block -- and I'm not even that short. For a man, I fall well below the 5th percentile, but I'm between the 45-50th percentile for a woman - very, very close to average. I don't think I hold other people to my unreasonable standards for height, but I'm never sure how much I'm participating in the social conspiracy against people of short stature.