Why Are Yawns Contagious?

Have you ever been in that sort of serious conversation where you need to be perfectly alert and suddenly, you see someone yawning and that makes you start yawning too? 

Well, science has some wild theories about contagious yawns, so many that sometimes I feel like we're looking at another branch of Science altogether (I mean, if we have Organic Chemistry for the study of Carbon compounds, we surely need Yawn Biology). 

YOU'RE NOT ALONE

Well, a trivia is that not only humans, but other animals like dogs, wolves, chimpanzees and many more also see this phenomena of contagious yawning.

THE THEORIES

Few of the many theories brought to light by Science are:

(a) Time of the day

(b) Intelligence of people (ouch)

(c) Empathy

Thankfully, over the years, the first two theories were cancelled off and empathy was finalized as the reasoning behind it.

EMPATHY AND YAWNING 

Well, contagious yawning is thought to be a sign of empathy and social bonding. When someone who is especially close to you yawns, it triggers a part of your brain related to imitation. It's like your brain is subconsciously saying, "I feel you." It's like a mega-mental group hug, really. 

THE BOTTOM LINE

So, why are yawns contagious? It’s a quirky mix of empathy and social influence. So, the next time you find yourself in a yawn-situation, jump in. Who knows, maybe they will introduce a yawn break in offices where all employees get to stand in a line and yawn in a perfect domino effect. After all, it’s just your brain’s way of saying, “Let’s take a break together!”