The Definitive Book of Body Language

The Definitive Book of Body Language

On television, a strong performance

makes you seem taller.

Pioneering research by Wilson (1968) found that when a

student addressed other students, he would be seen as 5 feet 8

1/2 inches (1.75m) tall by the other students. When the same

student was introduced as a professor, the audience perceived

him as 6 feet 3 inches (1.9m) tall. A powerful performance or

an impressive title both lead to you being perceived as taller.

Try the Floor Test

If you want to test the authority that goes with height, try this

exercise with a friend. First, lie on the floor and get your friend

to stand over you to maximise the height difference. Next, ask

your friend to reprimand you as loudly and forcefully as he

can. Then change positions - you stand, he lies down - and

ask him to repeat his reprimand. You'll find that not only does

he find it nearly impossible to do, his voice will sound differ-

ent and he'll lack any authority while trying.

The Downsides of Height

Being tall, however, is not always a bonus. While tall people
often command more respect than short people, height can
also be detrimental to some aspects of one-to-one communi-
cation, for instance where you need to 'talk on the same level'
or have an 'eye-to-eye' discussion with another person and do
not want be perceived as 'too big for your boots'.
In Britain, Philip Heinicy, a 6 feet 8 inches (2m) tall chemi-
cal salesperson, formed the Tall Person's Club to promote the
practical, medical and social needs of the taller members or
society. He found that his height was threatening to his cus-
tomers; they felt imposed upon and could not concentrate on