I think its just a mind thing. I have actually wondered about this myself before so I tried watching somebody yawn and seeing if I could keep from yawning. And I could. I felt the urge to yawn, but I could control myself from doing it.
After much research, scientists have concluded that yawning is a way for the body to cool the brain, and when someone else yawns its only a mere reminder to cool your brain:)
After much research, scientists have concluded that yawning is a way for the body to cool the brain, and when someone else yawns its only a mere reminder to coll your brain:)
Studies have shown that the contagiousness of yawning is a sign of empathy, and that evolutionarily speaking it was a way of maintaining group vigilance or alertness. It is also believed that in the past, yawning was used as a way of people signaling each other and that it remains contagious now as a leftover response from human ancestors.
Studies of children without autism, compared with children with autism, showed that the autistic children were less likely to yawn after witnessing a yawn then non-autistic children. Autistic children are known to have difficulty showing empathy. And although many species yawn, it appears to only be contagious in humans and other primates such as apes and chimpanzees.
