By Jeanie Davis
April 23, 2002 -- Decades after the teasing they endure in high school, short guys still pay the price for their stature. As adults, they have lower self-esteem -- and are paid less. That's even if they grow a few inches and reach "normal" height after graduation.
A group of economics professors from the University of Pennsylvania have looked at the issue closely, authoring a report, The Effect of Adolescent Experience on Labor Market Outcomes: The Case of Height.
In it, they give the results of a survey that included more than 2,000 men working in the U.S., ranging in height from 5 feet to 6 feet 8 inches. The men's wages were measured during a seven-year period when they were 31-38 years old. Researchers also asked about high-school activities that the guys participated in, separating out athletics from social activities like youth groups, hobby clubs, student government, and performing arts.
Only white, non-Hispanic males were involved in the study, so the results wouldn't be skewed by race, gender, and socioeconomic status, researchers say.
Their findings?
"Two adults of the same age and height, who were different heights at age 16, were treated differently in the labor market. ...The taller teen earned more," writes co-author Nicola Persico, PhD, assistant professor of economics at the University of Pennsylvania.
The average wage of shorter males is 13% lower than that of the taller group, he says.
In fact, a similar wage gap is seen between black and white males -- approximately 15%, Persico notes.
Theories abound as to why height matters in the labor pool. Tall people exude "interpersonal dominance," say some psychologists. "According to this theory, short people are stigmatized by others, perceived less positively, and thus placed at a disadvantage in negotiating interpersonal dealings," writes Persico. Also, tall people grow up with a better self-image, which leads to greater perseverance, better interpersonal skills, and higher achievement, he says.
All these theories describe why a guy's current height works for or against him, Persico writes. But there's more to it -- the problem starts when he's in high school, he says.
Fewer short kids in his study participated in athletics, clubs, and social activities, he says
That points to the issue of "not fitting in," says Persico. The social and cultural stigma of being short during adolescence excludes kids from athletics, social activities, and other groups that would help them "develop interpersonal skills, positive self-conception, ... self-esteem, and social adaptability," he writes.
Such kids report lower self-esteem that sticks with them as adults, he adds. "The feeling of 'not fitting in' has long-term, economically important consequences for shorter teens," writes Persico. "One must consider the possibility that minority youths might suffer similarly."
The National Science Foundation funded the research.
April 23, 2002 -- Decades after the teasing they endure in high school, short guys still pay the price for their stature. As adults, they have lower self-esteem -- and are paid less. That's even if they grow a few inches and reach "normal" height after graduation.
A group of economics professors from the University of Pennsylvania have looked at the issue closely, authoring a report, The Effect of Adolescent Experience on Labor Market Outcomes: The Case of Height.
In it, they give the results of a survey that included more than 2,000 men working in the U.S., ranging in height from 5 feet to 6 feet 8 inches. The men's wages were measured during a seven-year period when they were 31-38 years old. Researchers also asked about high-school activities that the guys participated in, separating out athletics from social activities like youth groups, hobby clubs, student government, and performing arts.
Only white, non-Hispanic males were involved in the study, so the results wouldn't be skewed by race, gender, and socioeconomic status, researchers say.
Their findings?
"Two adults of the same age and height, who were different heights at age 16, were treated differently in the labor market. ...The taller teen earned more," writes co-author Nicola Persico, PhD, assistant professor of economics at the University of Pennsylvania.
The average wage of shorter males is 13% lower than that of the taller group, he says.
In fact, a similar wage gap is seen between black and white males -- approximately 15%, Persico notes.
Theories abound as to why height matters in the labor pool. Tall people exude "interpersonal dominance," say some psychologists. "According to this theory, short people are stigmatized by others, perceived less positively, and thus placed at a disadvantage in negotiating interpersonal dealings," writes Persico. Also, tall people grow up with a better self-image, which leads to greater perseverance, better interpersonal skills, and higher achievement, he says.
All these theories describe why a guy's current height works for or against him, Persico writes. But there's more to it -- the problem starts when he's in high school, he says.
Fewer short kids in his study participated in athletics, clubs, and social activities, he says
That points to the issue of "not fitting in," says Persico. The social and cultural stigma of being short during adolescence excludes kids from athletics, social activities, and other groups that would help them "develop interpersonal skills, positive self-conception, ... self-esteem, and social adaptability," he writes.
Such kids report lower self-esteem that sticks with them as adults, he adds. "The feeling of 'not fitting in' has long-term, economically important consequences for shorter teens," writes Persico. "One must consider the possibility that minority youths might suffer similarly."
The National Science Foundation funded the research.