The study conducted by researchers at the University of North Texas and Rice University used data from Yahoo’s personal dating advertisements of 455 men and 470 women in the U.S. to find out whether the height of a potential partner matters for both genders.

Almost the half of the female respondents, or 49 percent, said they wanted to date only men who were taller than them.

On the other hand, men are not as concerned as women about height, with only 13 percent of the male respondents looking to date women who were shorter than them.

The women surveyed cited the matters of protection and femininity as a major reason why they favor taller men.

George Yancey, the study’s lead author at the University of Texas, believes that the height preferences of men and women can be explained by traditional societal expectations and gender stereotypes.

The researcher was quoted as saying, “The masculine ability to offer physical protection is clearly connected to the gender stereotype of men as protectors.”

“In a society that encourages men to be dominant and women to be submissive, having the image of tall men hovering over short women reinforces this value,” he added.

The study will be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Family Issues.

By Ock Hyun-ju, Intern reporter (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)