Why do people yawn when they see others yawn? Yawning is an automatic response where you open your mouth, take a deep breath, and breathe in air without consciously thinking about it. People yawn for various reasons, such as being tired, bored, or waking up. Interestingly, animals also yawn!
You may have noticed that after seeing someone yawn, you often yawn as well. This is known as “contagious yawning.” It feels like an automatic reflex, but scientists have discovered that it’s not entirely automatic because we are not born with the ability to do it. Contagious yawning typically begins around the ages of four or five, when children start developing better empathy. Empathy means understanding and sharing the feelings of others. So, without even thinking about it, seeing someone yawn can trigger a yawn in you too.
Scientists have observed that people yawn more frequently when the person they see yawning is someone they know well, like a best friend or a parent. This supports the idea that empathy plays a significant role in contagious yawning. When you witness a friend or family member yawn, your brain recognizes their feelings, and you may yawn in response.
Contagious yawning can also help strengthen social connections and coordination within a group. In other words, it’s one way our brains help us connect with others.
Interestingly, people can also yawn when they see animals yawning, including birds, reptiles, and fish (yes, fish yawn too!). Dogs and chimpanzees, for example, also experience contagious yawning. When a chimpanzee sees another chimpanzee yawn, it often yawns as well. This helps them build social connections with each other, just like humans.
Scientists have found that contagious yawning is more common among individuals who share a strong bond, both in humans and animals like chimpanzees and bonobos. This means you’re more likely to catch a yawn from your best friend or family member than from a stranger.
As people grow older, they become better at understanding others’ feelings, and they yawn more when they see others yawn. However, this ability to catch yawns may decrease in very old age, both in humans and chimpanzees.
Humans can experience contagious yawning from various animals, not just their beloved pets. This demonstrates that yawning helps us connect and understand each other, whether it’s with another person or an animal.
So, what happens in the brain when we catch yawns? Our brains have special cells called mirror neurons that activate when we see someone do something, making us feel inclined to do the same thing, like yawning. It’s as if our brains are mirroring the actions of others.
Next time you find yourself yawning after seeing someone else yawn, remember that it’s your brain’s way of building a connection with your friends, family, and even pets.