why is yawning infectious?

Answer 1

Well, this ain't history, but actually there's no medical reason, yet discovered, as to why we yawn. I was taught, many years ago, that the CO2 receptors in the brain, triggered it as a way to ramp up the O2 level-apparently not true.
As far as, "infectious" anecdotal studies have shown that it's not.

Answer 2

I actually know the real answer to this!! The reason yawning occurs is that there is an imbalance in the ear drums, one is weaker or stronger than the other. So by yawning, it balances the air inside the ear, the reason that your ears "pop". When you do this, you yawn and send out a dispersement of air from your mouth, this unsettles the eardrums of the people around you and so they have to yawn to correct their own. Thats why yawning is infectious. Hope that helps.

Answer 3

There is no simple answer as yet. It is an ongoing research question in psychology and neuroscience.

There are a number of possible explanations including that it is a learned, social phenomenon (e.g., there is evidence that contagious yawning isn't found much before the age or 5 or 6) and that is related to the way we experience empathy. For example, Platek et al. (2005) report evidence that suggests contagious yawning shares part of the brain mechanisms involved in empathy.

Answer 4

Two reasons why yawning is "contagious"

People yawn when they need more oxygen. (When you're tired, your breathing slows down.) Yawning appears to be contagious because the same thing that causes one person to need more oxygen intake is causing others to need it, too.

Also, people pick up on the body language of others and subconsciously will mimic it (things like putting hands in pockets, fidgeting, etc.)

****I couldn't stop yawning while looking this up LOL****

Answer 5

If i knew that I'd know what I yawned the second after I read your question.

Answer 6

i yawned 3 times reading this. Not cos it bored me! Just caught the yawn disease.

Answer 7

you mean contagious it is not infectious because it is not harmful to yawn....yawning means that your brain is receiving the maximum amounts of oxygen it can handle

Answer 8

I don't know how it is, but it is, because everytime someone yawns I will yawn right after them. Maybe its more of a mental thing.

Answer 9

I remember hearing its because showing your teeth to people is a display of dominance. Like what monkeys sign to one another.

Answer 10

great!!! now im yawning ! lol