Why are yawns catchy??? I yawn as i type the word, hear one over the phone, even hear the word spoken?

Answer 1

I know! why can't scientist study why yawns are so contagious?

Answer 2

Still no conclusive reason why people and animals yawn, even though the neurological process is well mapped out, and the behavior is hugely studied, the processes that drive the it contagiousness is still a ???
A couple of interesting studies have looked at how yawning fish induce human yawning. A later one looked at human yawning inducing yawning in goldfish. The current psych literature answer is no one really knows.

Answer 3

i have heard that yawns are several different things:
1) yawning makes you breathe deeper and circulates more oxygen in your blood when needed
2) animals (humans) yawn when their situation is changing - right before bed, waking up in the morning. this is because when animals live in herds or packs, one individual's yawning shows the whole group it's time for bed, time to wake up, etc - and it catching on proves to the others as well

as for why you do all the time, that is kind of odd. i have heard there were studies to show why yawning is so infectious. people saw just a yawning mouth, heard yawns, and other things and they decided that the infectious part was a person's eyes.
therefore if you just saw someone's eyes while yawning, that would cause you to yawn rather than their mouth or the sound.

hope that helps

Answer 4

I'm yawning just reading your question! It's called the power of suggestion.

Answer 5

I don't know but I just yawned!

Answer 6

Watch the myth busters episode on yawns. :)

Answer 7

I have no idea, but I am guilty. I yawned as I read your post. Not because it is boring, just cause I read that oh so satisfying..YYYAAAWWWNNNN!