Height of jealousy

Shorter men are more likely to be jealous husbands and boyfriends than their taller counterparts, suggests a fascinating research, which may finally have proof for the controversial 'Napoleon complex'.

The studies, reported in the New Scientist journal, believes it reflects insecurities among men who are not society's "ideal" height. The much-talked about 'short man syndrome' is a phenomenon where short men compensate for their lack of height by inculcating aggressive tendencies, often associated with Napoleon, Mussolini, Hitler and Attila the Hun.

In the study carried out by the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, researchers asked men and women how jealous they were in their current relationships.

In another similar study, involving 119 male and 230 female students, the participants were quizzed on their reaction if they saw their girlfriend, or boyfriend, flirting with a stranger. The findings suggested that shorter men were far more likely to say they were jealous than taller ones.

"Taller men tended to be less jealous, and the tallest men were the least jealous," the Daily Mail of Britain quoted the researchers, led by Dr Abraham Buunk, as saying. Among the women, average sized females were the least jealous- while tall and short women were the most.

Repeated studies have shown that women rate taller men as more attractive and powerful than shorter ones, while men prefer "average" women, usually who are a couple of inches shorter than them in height.