Height

Here is a revision of a little quiz to introduce the topic of height in a nonverbal or other communication class.  It contains both historical and contemporary personalities and should play well in the classroom.

The Self-test

Try estimating the heights of the following famous people whom you’ve probably read about or heard about (but probably not seen in person) by circling the guessed height. In each of these examples, one of the heights given is correct.

1.      Baby Face Nelson (bank robber and murderer in the 1930s): 5ʹ5ʺ, 5ʹ11ʺ, 6ʹ2ʺ

2.      Ludwig Van Beethoven (influential German composer): 5’6”, 6’0”, 6’5”

3.      Kim Kardashian (media personality): 5’2”, 5’5”, 5’8”

4.      Buckminster Fuller (scientist, credited with inventing the geodesic dome): 5’2”, 5’10”, 6’3”

5.      Bruno Mars (singer): 5’5”, 5’8”, 5’10”

6.      Mahatma Gandhi (Indian political leader whose civil disobedience led to India’s independence from British rule): 5’3”, 5’8”, 6’0”

7.      Jada Pinkett Smith (actor): 5’0”, 5’6”, 5’9”

8.      Joan of Arc (military leader, burned for heresy at age 19, and declared a saint) 4’11, 5’4”, 5’10”

9.      T. E. Lawrence of Arabia (adventurer and British army officer) 5’5”, 6’0”, 6’5”

10.  Salma Hayek (actor): 5’2”, 5’5”, 5’8”.

The Follow-up

This exercise was designed to see if you would overestimate the heights of a number of these people. Fame seems to be associated with height, and so most people would think these people were/are taller than they really were/are. The specific heights for all are the shortest heights given above: Baby Face Nelson, 5¢5ʺ; Ludwig Van Beethoven, 5¢6ʺ; Kim Kardashian, 5’2”; Buckminister Fuller, 5¢2ʺ; Bruno Mars, 5’5”; Mahatma Gandhi, 5¢3ʺ; Jada Pinkett Smith, 5’0”; Joan of Arc, 4¢11ʺ; T. E. Lawrence, 5¢5ʺ; and Salma Hayek, 5¢2ʺ.      

Nonverbal Communication Exercise

Here is a brief exercise that I used in teaching nonverbal communication and that I rewrote for a textbook in nonverbal that I’m in the process of writing. Here I use it as an introduction to the discussion of height but it can also be used with perception, stereotypes, and media influences, for example. You can adjust it in any way you’d like for your own classes.

Before reading about/discussing height, try your hand at estimating the heights of famous people that you’ve probably read about, heard about, and perhaps seen in photographs and film portrayals, but not face-to-face. Estimate their heights (in feet and inches) simply on the basis of the image you have of these people.

1.      Baby Face Nelson (bank robber and murderer in the 1930s) __________.

2.      Ludwig Van Beethoven (influential German composer) __________.

3.      Bonnie Parker (gangster of the 1920s and 1930s, part of the Barrow Gang) __________.

4.      Buckminister Fuller (scientist, credited with inventing the geodesic dome) __________.

5.      Clyde Barrow (gangster of the 1920s and 1930s, leader of the Barrow Gang) __________.

6.      Mahatma Gandhi (Indian political leader whose civil disobedience led to India’s independence from British rule) __________.

7.      James Madison (fourth President of the US, largely credited with writing the Constitution _______.

8.      Joan of Arc (military leader, burned for heresy at 19, and declared a Saint) __________.

9.      T. E. Lawrence [of Arabia] (adventurer and British Army officer) __________.

10.  Pablo Picasso (influential Spanish artist) __________.

This was designed to see if you would overestimate the heights of a good majority of these people. Fame seems to be associated with height and so most people would think these people were taller than they really were. The specific heights are as follows: Baby Face Nelson: 5’5”; Ludwig Van Beethoven 5’6”; Bonnie Parker: 4’10”; Buckminister Fuller: 5’2”; Clyde Barrow: 5’7”; Mahatma Gandhi: 5’3”; James Madison, 5’4”; Joan of Arc: 4’11”; T. E. Lawrence: 5’5”; Picasso: 5’4”;