• Question: When one person yawns why does someone else yawn as well?

    Asked by nataliejb to Daphne, Darren, Jon, Katherine on 22 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Daphne Ng

      Daphne Ng answered on 22 Mar 2012:

      Interesting question! Scientists think that yawning is a form of empathy and social bonding. It’s a form of communication in a group which is important to humans because we are social beings. So when one person yawns, the rest follow instinctively. Besides humans, chimpanzees and dogs also yawn! These are animals which live in a group like humans do so maybe the scientists are right in saying that yawning is a form of communication!

      You can read more about the study scientists did on yawning here http://news.discovery.com/human/yawning-social-behavior.html

    • Photo: Katherine Haxton

      Katherine Haxton answered on 23 Mar 2012:

      Every time I read this question and read the word ‘yawn’ it makes me yawn 🙂 So perhaps you just need to think about yawns then it happens!

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