It turns out Small Man Syndrome might really be a thing, as a new study has found that shorter people are more like to be psychopaths.
US scientists have studied the condition, also known as the Napoleon Complex, and discovered that smaller people are more likely to have ‘Dark Triad’ personality traits.
This includes characteristics like a lack of remorse, an inflated sense of self-importance and narcissistic tendencies.
The study, which was published the Personality and Individual Differences Journal, also found that shorter people are more likely to be ‘antagonistic’ as they try to offset the disadvantages they encounter due to their height.
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The study was conducted on 367 people using crowdsourcing website Amazon's Mechanical Turk, and it’s hoped the findings will lead to more research.
Participants had to complete the Dirty Dozen Dark Triad questionnaire, which is a standardised test for dark traits.
They had to rank how strongly they agreed with various statements such as ‘I tend to manipulate others to get my way’ or ‘I tend to be callous or insensitive’.
There were also similar statements about their height which they had to score, including ‘I wish I were taller’ and ‘I am satisfied with my height’, and they were also asked their actual height.
Surprisingly, the study found that both genders exhibited more signs of Dark Triad traits if they were shorter. It also found that this was greater if they were unhappy with their height.
Lead research Peter K. Jonason explained this, telling PsyPost: “Shorter people, especially those who wish they were taller, are more characterised by traits that are likely to make them show-off, be confrontational, and interested in power.”
He also added that shorter men are more likely to have narcissistic traits.
Jonason revealed that this is often due to shorter men struggling to gain respect.
He continued: "Shorter men can demand respect, impose costs on others, acquire resources, and impress romantic partners by their traits.
"Shorter women can use deception to appear more desirable or to gain protection and resources.
"Additionally, appearing more powerful may in turn affect others' perceptions of one's estimated height."
He concluded that the Dark Triad traits may be part of a 'suite of psychological systems' which help shorter people to 'still compete in life's great challenges'.
Katherine Sidnell