Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
On the accuracy of perceived parental height in a native Amazonian society
Ankur M Patel1, Ricardo A Godoy, Craig Seyfried
1Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA.
Abstract:
Studies of secular trends in adult height in rural pre-literate societies are likely to show no change owing to random measurement error in age. In such societies, adults lack birth certificates and guess when estimating their age. We assess the accuracy of perceived height of the same-sex parent to estimate secular trends. We tested the method among the Tsimane', a native Amazonian society of farmers and foragers in Bolivia. Subjects included 268 women and 287 men >20 years of age. Over half the sample reported inaccurately the height of their same-sex living parent, with a tendency to report no difference when, in fact, differences existed. Results highlight the pitfalls of using perceived parental height to examine secular trends in adult height among the Tsimane', though the method might yield accurate information in other societies. We discuss possible reasons for the low accuracy of Tsimane' estimates.
Related Concept Videos
Nature and Nurture
Polygenic Traits
Variation: Normal Distribution, Range, and Standard Deviation
Regression Toward the Mean
Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

