Why, when you look at someone yawing, you can`t help but to yawn to?

Answer 1

This is an excerpt from an online article at Wikipedia.

The yawn reflex is often described as contagious: if one person yawns, this will cause another person to "sympathetically" yawn.[3] The reasons for this are unclear; however, recent research suggests that yawning might be a herd instinct.[4] Other theories suggest that the yawn serves to synchronize mood behavior among gregarious animals, similar to the howling of the wolf pack during a full moon. It signals tiredness to other members of the group in order to synchronize sleeping patterns and periods of activity. It can serve as a warning in displaying large, canine teeth. This phenomenon has been observed among various primates. The threat gesture is a way of maintaining order in the primates' social structure. The contagion of yawning is interspecific (i.e., try yawning in front of your dog). Oddly, sometimes sympathetic yawning may be caused by simply looking at a picture of a person or animal yawning, or even seeing the word "yawn".


FROM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yawn

Answer 2

Survival, Years ago people would sleep at the same time (nighttime- not like todays 24hr routine), yawning gets everyone into bed at similar times, well thats what i heard plus it also takes in lots of oxygen to refresh brain when yawning, true or false i don't know but good Q!

Answer 3

i'm not sure why exactly that happens but I heard about some researchers who looked into this. They found that a person who yawns after they see someone else yawn, was caring and respectful of others.

Answer 4

I hate seeing anyone yawning when I am at work it always starts me off yawning......I work with the public so it doesn't look good... I usually have to have a sweet to stop myself, hence the loss of my girlish figure.....ha ha..

Answer 5

A yawn is the body's way of drawing in more oxygen ,.
when you are tired and the room may be stuffy
.
watching someone yawn, is a trigger ,for you realise you too need extra oxygen,

so hey ! ho ! you yawn as well !!

>^,,^<

Answer 6

probably copying someone being a mong i don't know why i don't for some reason. i think people look like mongs because they yawn with thier mouth open thier eyes closed

Answer 7

Just reading that has made me yawn!

Answer 8

i dont yawn when others do, because i have such a deep down loathing, and fear, of 'other people' when i see them im more intent on passing them without being stabbed, than copying their mannerisms..

Answer 9

phycological and its a mental and body reaction when you see some one yawn it is a reaction thats all

Answer 10

Reflex action.