Photograph by Jcornelius
“Short man syndrome”, where smaller people feel more paranoid, distrustful, and scared of others, actually exists according to a new study from researchers at Oxford University.
The scientists used virtual reality (VR) technology to artificially reduce the height of volunteer participants while they travelled on a simulated ride on the London Underground.
They found that those who had their height artificially reduced were more likely to think other people were talking about them behind their backs or staring at them, as well as have heightened feelings of mistrust and paranoia.
Professor Daniel Freeman, who conducted the study at the University of Oxford in the UK, explains:
“Being tall is associated with greater career and relationship success. Height is taken to convey authority, and we feel taller when we feel more powerful. It is little wonder then that men and women tend to over-report their height. In this study we reduced people’s height, which led to a striking consequence: people felt inferior and this caused them to feel overly mistrustful.”
