Twenty-six boys whose height was a minimum of 2 SD below normal because of either constitutional delay of growth and adolescence or growth hormone deficiency were evaluated to determine per sonality and behavior functioning Other researchers, using unstructured personality assessment techniques, have reported etiology-related behavior differences between these groups of children with short stature Use of an objective, empirically derived, self-report measure and standardized behavior checklist completed by parents did not reveal etiology-specific behavior patterns between groups Age appeared to be a more important factor related to personality adjustment Older boys exhibited a more conforming and less aggressive response style than younger boys Short children, regardless of age, were rated by parents as being more withdrawn than age-matched boys in the normative data on these measures.