• Question: why is yawning infectious?

    Asked by jodlington to Kate, Kieren, Nicola, Rowena, Roy on 14 Mar 2014.
    • Photo: Kate Nicholson

      Kate Nicholson answered on 14 Mar 2014:

      It is a social response – sometimes it is used as a test for personality disorders that stop people being empathetic (understanding and caring about the feelings of another) so what we are unconsiously saying when we catch a yawn is ‘yes I know how you feel!’

    • Photo: Rowena Fletcher-Wood

      Rowena Fletcher-Wood answered on 14 Mar 2014:

      I guess it is a triggered response – like physical sddiction. You see it and immediately empathise and can’t help but feel short of oxygen too. We developed this empathy to help us communicate. We also empathise with animals but not AIs!

    • Photo: Nicola Rogers

      Nicola Rogers answered on 15 Mar 2014:

      Yawning is often a subconscious empathetic response, and is a form of social bonding – Children don’t normally develop this response until they are about 4

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