2006-07-11 12:26:42 · 9 answers · asked by Fun and Games 4 in Health ➔ Other - Health
I have a theory to why yawing is contagious. Here you go:
When someone gets tired and yawns in front of another person it reminds them of sleeping and tiredness, which has the host (the person in front of the yawner) think more of sleeping and causes the host to yawn, too.
2006-07-11 12:30:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I had this very discussion with the fellow doctors at work the other week. Even when on the phone, if the other caller yawns, we yawn. I said that yawning is also known as a sign of dehydration, not just tiredness, yet it is also a response that we yawn when others yawn too.
Then we spoke of sneezing, how we cannot, hard as we try, sneeze with our eyes opened. And, that it is not contagious to sneeze after another person, yet it is contagious to catch a virus from a sneeze. Odd :)
2006-07-11 19:31:40 · answer #2 · answered by caz_v8 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I read somewhere, )though I cannot recall where, I'm sorry) that there is evidence that groups of chimanzees are prone to yawn as a signal to others of the troup that it is time to move up into the trees to sleep for the night. Each signal yawn prompts other chimps to yawn and pass the signal along. Given that our dna is very much the same as that of chimps, it is possible that we carry on the same sort of behaviour.
2006-07-11 19:33:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes I saw this episode of Dr Know who put on secret camera on people in a room and then had professional yawners , yawn and people yawn
2006-07-11 19:39:03 · answer #4 · answered by mick987g 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's not that it's contagious. It's a natural response when someone yawns. I read somewhere that it's instinct that makes us yawn when we see someone doing it. It reflects our social nature, to follow "others"
2006-07-11 19:30:50 · answer #5 · answered by a_a_away 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there seems to be a LOT of discussion about this online -- here is the top google site http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/050309_yawnfrm.htm
and i think that the consensus is that for most adults, it is.
do a google search for the words yawning contagious and see.
2006-07-11 19:31:49 · answer #6 · answered by rosends 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yawn in a crown and see how many people yawn afterwards
2006-07-11 19:30:42 · answer #7 · answered by BrianKSE2006 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only when you yawn ON someone....
2006-07-11 19:31:01 · answer #8 · answered by matt H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not for me it is'nt
2006-07-11 19:30:06 · answer #9 · answered by minus 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋