We All Yawn Together! *video*
Ever wondered why yawning is so contagious? It seems almost impossible not to yawn when we witness someone doing the same.
So why is it so contagious? Researchers in the UK have been trying to find that out. They did an experiment with a group of students to try to examine what exactly makes yawning so infectious.
What they found was a link between pandiculation (the act of yawning and stretching at the same time) and empathy. When you are empathetic towards someone, you show your compassionate side by understanding and connect with that person’s emotional state.
Experts believe then, contagious yawning happens when we somehow connect without knowing we’re doing it in the first place. They’re still trying to understand why is it that we do this and whether the involuntary mimicking is linked to how much empathy a person has etcetera. Researchers have concluded so far, through brain imaging, that contagious yawning is associated with the same parts of the brain that deal with empathy. It’s similar to our reaction to laughter. It’s easy for some of us to smile even when we watch a stranger giggle.
We’ve found a video experiment online that illustrates the power of the yawn. A comedian overseas has trekked through the US, France and Egypt to capture this infectious prank on camera.
Roman Atwood let out a wide yawn as he walked past tourists in various places in these countries. His aim? To get them to yawn as well. Take a look at his video below for the hilarious results.
Unsurprisingly, I yawned three times while writing this article.
- Natarah Nadesan
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @NatarahECR