Why are "yawns" contagious?

Answer 1

This question is available on Ask Yahoo!:

If one person yawns, why does everyone else in the room want to yawn?

Yawning is extremely contagious -- 55% of people who witness someone yawn will yawn within five minutes. If a visually impaired person hears a tape of someone yawning, he or she is likely to yawn as well. Face it, the likelihood of you making it to the end of this answer without looking like one of these gaping maws is unlikely.

Although the contagious nature of yawning is well established, we know less about why this is so. Researchers are currently giving the topic some serious attention. One theory suggests it's a holdover from a period in evolutionary history when yawning served to coordinate the social behavior of a group of animals. A recent study postulates that contagious yawning could be part of the "neural network involved in empathy."

While the mystery of contagious yawning has yet to be solved, perhaps researchers are closing in on an answer. On the other hand, given the subject matter, we wouldn't blame them for falling asleep at the wheel. In the meantime, give the "yawn challenge" a try -- it's tougher than it looks.

- From http://ask.yahoo.com/20050623.html


Recent research about this subject:

Two studies released in September 2006 offer clues about how you understand and empathize with others when you hear them speak—or even when you just know what they are doing.

Multitasking brain cells, known as mirror neurons, fire each time you prepare to make a move, like picking up and opening a can of soda. The same neurons activate when you simply see another person open the can. But what if you only hear them open it? You still empathize with the other person's actions because mirror neurons also react to sounds, reports neuroscientist Christian Keysers of the University of Groningen, Netherlands.

- More from http://www.discover.com/issues/jan-07/features/mind-brain/?page=2

Answer 2

"Although this “contagious” yawning behavior is not understood, it has been suggested that this could be the result of an unconscious herding behavior — a subtle way to communicate group behavior, such as when a birds follow the behavior of one bird, and all rise together as a whole flock.

Maybe a yawn is a signal to the group that it’s time to go to sleep. Or if someone yawns when they’re bored, it may be a sign to change the topic of conversation."

Read more all about it here:
http://www.chevroncars.com/learn/wondrous-world/yawn-contagious

Answer 3

Yawns seem to be contagious because they are caused by lack of oxygen and when some one yawns it reminds you that you need extra oxygen too.

Yawns are one of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning which basically is a lack of oxygen that could be terminal.

Answer 4

sympathy

Answer 5

they feel good