Want to feel more feminine? Get yourself a tall partner, claim scientists (and they say you'll even feel more protected)



Researchers found women were far more concerned than men about the height of their partner

Respondents said they wanted to wear heels and still be shorter than their partner

The height of your partner really does matter in a relationship - for women at least, researchers have found.

They say having a tall partner can make women feel more feminine and protected.

They also found that men care far less about the height of their partner.

The researchers say having a tall partner can make women feel more feminine and protected - but that men care far less about the height of their partner.

HOW THEY DID IT

The study, 'Does Height Matter? An Examination of Height Preferences in Romantic Coupling,' was conducted in two parts.

Part one, which used data from the Yahoo! personal dating advertisements of 455 males (average height of 5 feet 8 inches and average age of 36 years) and 470 females (average height of 5 feet 4 inches and average age of 35 years) from throughout the U.S. It found that 13.5 percent of the men wanted to date only women shorter than they are. In contrast, nearly half of the women – 48.9 percent – wanted to date only men taller than they are. The second part of the study included 54 male (average height of 5 feet 9 inches) and 131 female volunteers (average height of 5 feet 4 inches) recruited from a U.S. university.

The participants answered open-ended questions in an online survey.

The findings were similar to the first part of the study: 37 percent of male respondents wanted to date only women shorter than they are, while 55 percent of female respondents wanted to date only men taller than they are.

The new research from Rice University and the University of North Texas, analysed dating profiles then asked participants to fill out an online survey.

They say the results show that current theories that we look for similar people may not be true.



'Evolutionary psychology theory argues that ‘similarity is overwhelmingly the rule in human mating,’' said Michael Emerson, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology, co-director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the study’s co-author.



'However, our study suggests that for physical features such as height, similarity is not the dominant rule, especially with females.'

According to the data, the main reasons females gave for preferring a tall partner were for protection and femininity.



'As the girl, I like to feel delicate and secure at the same time,' said a woman in the study who is 5 feet 3 inches tall.



'Something just feels weird in thinking about looking ‘down’ into my man’s eyes.



'There is also something to be said about being able to wear shoes with high heels and still being shorter.



'I also want to be able to hug him with my arms reaching up and around his neck.'



Men were much less likely to say that height mattered, the study found, and those that did preferred shorter women, but not so short that it would cause problems with physical intimacy.



'I like it when the body of your partner fits yours,' said another study participant, a male who is 5 feet 11 inches tall.



'It also makes it easier to kiss, hold hands and do other activities with your partner.'



According to the data, the main reasons females gave for preferring a tall partner were for protection and femininity.

The study, 'Does Height Matter? An Examination of Height Preferences in Romantic Coupling,' was conducted in two parts.



Part one, which used data from the Yahoo! personal dating advertisements of 455 males (average height of 5 feet 8 inches and average age of 36 years) and 470 females (average height of 5 feet 4 inches and average age of 35 years) from throughout the U.S.

It found that 13.5 percent of the men wanted to date only women shorter than they are.

In contrast, nearly half of the women – 48.9 percent – wanted to date only men taller than they are.

The second part of the study included 54 male (average height of 5 feet 9 inches) and 131 female volunteers (average height of 5 feet 4 inches) recruited from a U.S. university.



The participants answered open-ended questions in an online survey.



The findings were similar to the first part of the study: 37 percent of male respondents wanted to date only women shorter than they are, while 55 percent of female respondents wanted to date only men taller than they are.

George Yancey, a professor of sociology at the University of North Texas and the study’s lead author, believes that the height preferences of men and women can be explained by traditional societal expectations and gender stereotypes.

'The masculine ability to offer physical protection is clearly connected to the gender stereotype of men as protectors,' he said.

