The Height Premium: When Shorter Men Pay More

Across cultures, people who are above average height are more prosperous, successful, and considered more attractive (Jackson and Ervin 1992; Judge and Cable 2004). However, men who are below average height function more poorly in social spheres (Stulp and Barrett 2016), such as dating and marriage (Lynn and Shurgot 1984; Pawlowski and Kozieł 2002), workplace interactions (Judge and Cable 2004), and political elections (McCann 2001). Additionally, male height is positively associated with higher social status (Blaker et al. 2013). Given that status is essential for humans as it is related to personal and social advantages (Anderson et al. 2012; Anderson, Hildreth, and Howland 2015), having a lower status can create an aversive state for shorter men. Indeed, research has shown that shorter men tend to reduce feelings of inadequacy through indirect aggression (Knapen, Blaker, and Vugt 2018). Moreover, when consumers perceive being low in appearance or power, they tend to engage in compensatory behavior by purchasing products that convey status (Braun and Wicklund 1989; Hoegg et al. 2014; Rucker and Galinsky 2008, 2009). However, we know little about how being shorter than average height influences the status consumption of men. Thus, this research is positioned at the intersection of two important research streams-one dealing with status consumption and the other with the effects of height for men. We posit that shorter men are more willing to purchase and more willing to pay (WTP) higher prices for status-signaling products to improve their low social standing induced by being short. This happens because shorter men have a higher desire for status, leading them to flaunt the status-signaling products they own. However, we argue that sense of purpose moderates the effect: shorter men who are more driven by a sense of purpose will be less likely to resort to status consumption. To assess our hypotheses, we conducted three studies. Study 1 examines the impacts of height on product size preference. In Study 1, we show that men who are below average height are more willing to pay higher prices for a status product (larger TV). Study 1 also confirms that women differ from men in that shortness does not evoke status consumption among women. Therefore, the subsequent two studies (Studies 2 and 3) featured men only. In Study 2, we test the underlying mechanism of our proposed effect in a different status consumption context. Study 2 replicates the results of Study 1