Why are yawns catching?

private joker · #1 10-15-2005, 06:24 AM

Whenever I see someone yawn, I start yawning. Sometimes I'm just talking or thinking about yawning, and I yawn.

Just recently I was looking on Google images for a funny shot of someone yawning, and I started yawning while looking at the pictures of people yawning.

It must be something in how the brain communicates to the lungs or whatever, but could any med students or psychologists help explain this weird phenomenon? I can't be the only person who finds yawns contagious.

private joker · #2 10-15-2005, 06:24 AM

whiskeytown · #3 10-15-2005, 06:28 AM

it's my understanding it's subliminal, but I'm not a dr. or shrink. -

RB

private joker · #4 10-15-2005, 06:28 AM

And while writing that post, I started yawning and am still yawning.

Just as I'm sure several of you are reading this post and yawning because it's such a boring thread.

goofball · #5 10-15-2005, 06:40 AM

Bad topic. A 4 second seach on google reveals all.

Blarg · #6 10-15-2005, 06:42 AM

People think you are trying to french kiss them, and are trying to reciprocate. It's very rude when you suddenly stop. They think you're playing them for a fool.

Dominic · #7 10-15-2005, 07:04 AM

no one knows.

Spota · #8 10-15-2005, 08:04 AM

Didn't Mythbusters say that yawning was contagious, but not by very much? I think that was the same episode with "Does toast fall buttered side down:

CD56 · #9 10-15-2005, 10:50 AM

I'm a third year med student, I don't have a very good answer for you, and I'm not sure that it can be answered physiologically, but I do think it is true that people subconsciously incorporate behaviors that they see into their own actions very often.

When I'm in the hospital on rounds I spend a lot of time standing around in a circle talking/discussing patients, and I've noticed that whenever one person assumes a certain posture say crossing their arms, within a minute several of the people in the group will also cross their arms.

This is what google came up with for me:
http://www.al.com/healthfit/mobilere..._307yawns.html

I also remember that Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point had a section talking about infectious yawning, although I don't think he offered an explanation for it.

jakethebake · #10 10-15-2005, 11:07 AM

because people are sheep.