Reason Behind Contagious Yawning :
This is why you always yawn when you see other people do it.Do you always yawn when you see someone else yawn too? You might feel bad about it, thinking that it is rude to yawn while interacting with someone. But it turns out that yawning is actually contagious and a normal reflex. Let’s find out why yawning is contagious. Warning: reading this might make you yawn too!
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Yawning
First, let’s understand what yawning really is. Yawning involves opening your mouth wide, stretching your jaw, taking a deep breath, and exhaling slowly. It usually happens when you’re tired or bored, but the exact reasons behind yawning are still not fully understood by scientists. Interestingly, yawning becomes even more fascinating when you realize that it can affect other people too.
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Why Is Yawning Contagious?
One of the main reasons why we yawn when we see others yawning is empathy. As we grow older and develop emotionally and mentally, we tend to take cues from other people yawning and yawn ourselves. This copying behavior, known as echophenomenon, is something we do unconsciously throughout the day. We imitate the words and actions of others in an effort to fit in. Mirror neurons might be responsible for this phenomenon. These neurons are activated when we see someone else doing something and help us imitate their actions.
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The exact scientific explanation for why yawning is contagious is still being explored by scientists. According to Dr. Saghir, it is physically impossible to resist yawning because our brains are wired that way.
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Empathy
Yawning is only contagious once your brain has fully developed. As mentally healthy adults, our emotional and social development causes us to yawn when others do. However, individuals with incomplete mental development, such as children or those with conditions like schizophrenia or autism, only yawn when they are tired and not in response to others. When your brain is fully developed, you tend to yawn along with people you care about, rather than strangers. This happens because our brains form an empathic connection, making us empathize more with the person yawning and unintentionally imitate their actions
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So now you have a better understanding of yawning! The next time someone you love yawns while you’re telling a story, you’ll know a little bit about why it happens.
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