Forget Napoleon, taller men have the shorter fuse

But research suggests it is nothing more than a myth.

Scientists took a group of men of differing heights and gave them a game to play in which they were exposed to deliberate provocation.

They found that taller men flew off the handle more quickly than shorter ones.

Researchers concluded that the myth could have evolved simply because when a short person loses his temper it is the first explanation that springs to mind.

The idea that men below average height have an inferiority complex and try to compensate for it in other ways was put forward by Austrian psychologist Alfred

He used Napoleon as an example of someone whom he thought was driven to extremes by a psychological need to compensate for what he saw as a handicap - his small stature - even though at 5ft 6in he was actually taller than average for his time.

Since then short men who lose their temper are often dubbed as having 'Napoleon complex' or 'Short Man Syndrome'.

Researchers at the University of Central Lancashire, commissioned by the BBC, set out to discover if height really does affect aggression. They took ten men of average height and the same number who were below 5ft 5in.

They were paired up and given wooden chopsticks to duel with as if they were swords.

One was told the test was to pick up physical attributes, reaction times and hand-eye coordination.

However he was not advised that his rival had been told after a few turns to provoke him by rapping him across the knuckles.

Heart monitors attached to the men of average height showed they were more likely to respond to the provocation by hitting back at their rival's fingers.

Footballer Dennis Wise, now manager of Leeds United, has a long history of losing his temper on and off the pitch and only this month was involved in furious exchanges with fans from a rival club.

When such an incident occurs, commentators tend to refer to his height, since he is only 5ft 6in.

But lead researcher Dr Mike Eslea said that blaming Wise for being small makes no more sense than to say that Blackburn Rovers footballer Robbie Savage, who also is known for his temper, is aggressive because he is 6ft and blond.

He said: "The results were consistent with the view that Small Man Syndrome is a myth.

"When people see a short man being aggressive, they are likely to think it is due to his size simply because that attribute is obvious and grabs their attention."

The impact of a man's height on his character and prospects in life has been investigated by scientists several times previously.

Last year scientists from the University of Wroclaw in Poland found that when it comes to perfect husbands, shorter men stand head and shoulders above the rest.

They found women regard taller men as excellent for a fling but see short men as better companions with whom to settle down.

Other research last year found that tall men are more likely to be successful both professionally and romantically.

The study in the journal Economics and Human Biology found that on average, managers were an inch taller than blue-collar workers.

Recent research found that in Britain the average male is now around 5ft 9in - one inch more than the French but one and half inches less than the Dutch.