We see or hear someone yawn and we automatically repeat the act, and the contagion of yawning is something spontaneous and very common. If yawning is known to be a way to increase oxygenation, what does it mean for those around to repeat it? If you want to know why yawning is contagious, don’t miss this article.
Steps to follow:
One. First of all, it is necessary to know that the exact function of yawning is not yet known for sure. Conventional wisdom says that we yawn when we are sleepy, hungry or bored, although this has not been proven through studies and sparks debate among scientists and experts. The most widespread is that they serve as cerebral oxygenation and regulation of brain and body temperature.
Two. Similarly, there are various theories about why yawning is contagious, although research has been done on it. In this way, the most general opinion among experts is that yawning is contagious due to empathy, that is, the fact of putting ourselves in the place of the other.
3. Likewise, we could say that yawning develops a communicative and social function and some also point out that the contagion of yawning increases as the affective bond with the person who has previously yawned is stronger.
Some studies have determined that we will imitate yawning more quickly if the person who yawned before is a relative than if it is a stranger. The yawning contagion rhythm sequence is: family, friends, acquaintances and strangers.
4. It should also be noted that although there are many animal species that yawn, the contagion of yawning only occurs in humans and some species of primates such as chimpanzees and baboons.
