Have you ever “caught” a yawn from someone else? They open their mouth for a big yawn and, suddenly, you are doing the same. According to recent studies, around half of us respond to what scientists call “contagious yawning.” Why does this happen and how does this seemingly involuntary action pass from one person to the next?
Why Do We Yawn?
While many of us associate yawning with sleepiness, there may be other factors at play. Scientists aren’t 100 percent sure why we yawn but they have some ideas.
First, it could mean your blood needs more oxygen. When we yawn, our heartbeat speeds up, which could mean more oxygen is being pumped through our blood. Or, according to the National Sleep Foundation, your brain might be hot. Some scientists believe yawning helps regulate the temperature of your brain.
It could also be a sign that your body is getting ready for action or movement or, simply put, you’re bored. Meredith Williamson, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Medicine explains, “Researchers used to think that yawning was only signaling a need for sleep, but now they believe that it can communicate a shift in alertness or boredom.”
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Is Contagious Yawning A Measure Of Empathy?
Some researchers believe that contagious yawning could be a measure of our compassion or empathic response. The more empathy we have for others, the more likely we are to echo someone’s yawn with one of our own.
One study, conducted at the University of Connecticut, looked at children with autism and their responses to yawning. The children with autism contagiously yawned much less than children without autism. Also, those with more extreme cases of autism contagiously yawned even less. The results led researchers to believe this was because the autistic children did not possess a standard level of empathy.
However, another study challenges these findings and how they relate to empathy and contagious yawning. The study, published in Autism Research and Treatment, asked autistic children to focus on someone’s mouth, instead of their eyes, as the person yawned. Most of the children yawned in response, showing that contagious yawning may be more of a social cue.
Can You Withstand The Yawn Test?
Researchers at Duke University showed the following video to 328 subjects. Out of this group, 222 contagiously yawned while watching the video.
How long will you last?
What Does It All Mean?
Contagious yawning is, in the end, still a mystery. Is it about empathy or social cues? Also, when we consider that dogs and chimpanzees yawn in response to each other (they actually do), what does that mean for all these arguments?
Williamson said, ” It’s multifactorial. It could be partly an innate form of communication or it could be related to empathy or a bit of both combined with other factors.”
[Editor’s Note: The information provided should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical expert if you have questions related to your own health.]
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