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The Napoleon Complex: When Shorter Men Take More.
Jill E P Knapen1,2, Nancy M Blaker1,3, Mark Van Vugt1
11 Section of Social and Organizational Psychology, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Psychological Science
|May 11, 2018
Summary
Shorter men may use indirect aggression to secure resources when competing with taller men, particularly when feeling physically less competitive. This behavior, linked to the Napoleon complex, involves retaining resources rather than direct confrontation.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary psychology
- Social psychology
- Behavioral economics
Background:
- The Napoleon complex theory suggests shorter stature may influence behavior.
- Previous research has not empirically tested the link between male height and indirect aggression in resource competition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if shorter men exhibit more indirect aggression in resource competition against taller men.
- To explore the behavioral responses of men experiencing perceived height disadvantage.
Main Methods:
- Three studies were conducted, including a pilot study and two experimental studies involving resource allocation games (dictator and ultimatum games).
- Participants' resource retention and aggression (direct vs. indirect) were measured in response to perceived opponent height.
Main Results:
- Men, unlike women, retained more resources when feeling smaller.
- Shorter men retained more resources in the dictator game (high power) than the ultimatum game (shared power) against taller opponents.
- Shorter men did not display increased direct physical aggression towards taller opponents.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the Napoleon complex hypothesis, indicating shorter men employ indirect aggression (resource control) when facing physically superior competitors.
- Behavioral flexibility in resource acquisition is demonstrated by shorter men in response to height-based competitive cues.
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