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New study finds that size does matter

When it comes to love, tall men tower over their competition, according to Polish researchers.

A recent study out of Poland suggests that women are naturally attracted to taller men, possibly because females inherently think that towering men "could offer them the best protection and provide for their needs," stated David Buss, professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, in an Associated Press news release.

British and Polish scientists examined the medical records of nearly 3,200 current or previous Polish soldiers, whose ages ranged from 25 to 60 years old. After a lengthy study, the scientists found that men without children were on average 1.2 inches shorter than males who had at least one child.

The researchers also discovered that married men are a full inch taller than their non-married counterparts. Previous studies have found that the average human height has gradually increased over time, which was taken into account for this study.

Patti Harada, a UA medical research technician who also teaches a psychology course, said, "It certainly makes sense to me that if height equates to a sense of feeling protected, that there could be a biological predisposition that surpasses whatever modern day culture has to say about the subject."

That biological predisposition transcends cultural and time barriers as well, Buss said.

"This study shows that even in modern times the kind of selection we might think of as prehistoric continues to operate today," he stated.

The study eliminated abnormally tall or short men, leaving the average male height at 5 feet 6 inches.

The records, which were collected in Wroclaw, Poland from 1983 to 1989, confirmed the rumor that women have been spreading for years - size matters. The conclusion: males between 20 and 50 years of age are more likely to sport a wedding ring and little tikes at their side.

But guys who are vertically challenged are not always short on action, are they?

"Some women like short men; most of the women who do are short themselves, and people like to 'assortatively mate' on height and other variables," said Buss in an e-mail interview.

He added that some women prefer shorter men "so that they can more easily dominate them."

Blair Illingworth, UA communication junior, stands at a modest 5 feet 7 inches. "It's true. Women feel the need for security and taller men give them that," he said in a telephone interview.

"Women don't take you seriously (when you are not tall)," he added.

"I won't disqualify certain men because they're shorter, but I would be more apt to go after taller guys," said UA interdisciplinary studies junior Lindsey Goosherst.

"It's our natural instincts to go for taller guys," she added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.