• Question: why do we yawn when other people yawn?

    Asked by tanyaleemonteiro to Darren, Deuan, Duncan, Lori-An, Michelle on 21 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Darren Nesbeth

      Darren Nesbeth answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      To show we care.

    • Photo: Deuan Jones

      Deuan Jones answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Because we’re bored too?

      I guess when we see someone else maybe it subconciously reminds us that we’re actually quite tired as well. Maybe people get tired at similar times in the day so that statistically if one person yawns there’s a good chance that we’re tired about that time too?

    • Photo: Lori-An Etherington

      Lori-An Etherington answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      This isn’t an area that I know much about. Yawning is an involuntary reflex and there are a number of theories about why it happens. I have attached a link to a site called How stuff works that talks about a couple of the yawning theories:

      http://health.howstuffworks.com/question5721.htm

      Hope this is of some use

    • Photo: Michelle Hudson-Shore

      Michelle Hudson-Shore answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      I don’t think anyone has come up with a foolproof reason yet. I like the idea that it evolved as a survivial instinct so if all the animals/people in a group yawn after seeing one of the group yawn then it makes the whole group more alert to look for predators. *Yawns*

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