Capn Design Archives: Why Are Yawns Contagious?

Why Are Yawns Contagious?

March 3, 2003

According to Robert R. Provine, professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and author of Laughter: A Scientific Investigation...

Virtually any stimulus associated with yawns -- including viewing, reading about, and even thinking about, yawning -- evokes yawns. (Are you yawning yet?) Yawning spreads in a chain reaction through a group, a compelling example of human herd behavior and a reminder that we are not always in conscious control of our actions. The urge to replicate an observed yawn is clearly an automatic response triggered by our brains.

Studies partially explain the reason for yawning. Although we yawn more when sleepy or bored, it is unclear whether yawning increases alertness. And scientific evidence refutes one of the most popular myths of yawning? that it happens in response to low oxygen or high carbon dioxide levels in the blood or brain. Test subjects do not yawn more when breathing air with enhanced levels of carbon dioxide nor do they yawn less when breathing pure oxygen. One fact explains a lot of apparently inconsistent data. People yawn most during behavioral transitions, such as just after waking and shortly before bedtime. Yawning may help facilitate those changes. Contagious yawning may synchronize a group's behavior so that, for instance, a whole family goes to sleep together.

Comments (17 comments so far)

Comment #1:

I once heard that when someone yawns, they change the air pressure so you have to yawn as well to fix it!

Posted by Kristen on March 03, 2003 at 6:46AM

Comment #2:

I yawned three times while reading that blog!

Posted by Mary on March 03, 2003 at 3:57PM

Comment #3:

I yawn all the time when I tell my friends about this strange reaction!

Posted by Lynn on April 24, 2003 at 2:45PM

Comment #4:

Yawns are for gay ass mother fuckers and i am one of them!

Posted by Andrea on May 20, 2003 at 3:12PM

Comment #5:

Damn Andrea if you were not gay i'd rock your world Homegirl!

Posted by Troy on May 26, 2003 at 6:11PM

Comment #6:

I like yawning

Posted by sonny on June 04, 2003 at 5:48PM

Comment #7:

I like yawns, though not as much as sneezes. Talk about relief.

Posted by jimmy on June 18, 2003 at 4:52AM

Comment #8:

You wanna talk about relief.
Forget yawning or sneezing...

POPPING YOUR JOINTS (e.g. nuckles) IS THE BEST RELIEF EVER!!

Posted by Ken on June 20, 2003 at 11:03PM

Comment #9:

I read that yawns were a primal instinct. Baring your teeth to show other predators who is boss, therefore it is instinctual to yawn in return since it's a means of self-preservation. Though that sounds a bit weird.

Posted by Jason on June 27, 2003 at 4:56PM

Comment #10:

Alright. If you believe that pressure change bull in any way.. you've got to be an idiot. It's a human subconscious nature to imitate. Even when you watch basketball on tv you're imitating them, but it's at such a small level that you won't notice.

Posted by rick on July 31, 2003 at 11:35AM

Comment #11:

yeah,I yawn.....I been yawning all day long,there I just yawned...uh weird....well Im out, Lata!

Posted by Lana on August 16, 2003 at 9:53PM

Comment #12:

I yawn right after sex, just ask Lana.

Posted by Ed on September 05, 2003 at 8:59AM

Comment #13:

Amity I will always love you!

Posted by Ed on September 05, 2003 at 9:24AM

Comment #14:

i yawn right after sex too. And you can ask Lana again...

Posted by tone on October 04, 2003 at 3:59AM

Comment #15:

this is gay. yawnings gay. all u bitches on here are gayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy *YAWN*

Posted by joeblow on October 06, 2003 at 12:40PM

Comment #16:

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................(sorry i was yawning)..

Posted by sleepy smurf on October 08, 2003 at 6:13AM

Comment #17:

EVERYONE SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by grumpy smurf on October 08, 2003 at 6:15AM

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