/sci/ - Science & Math

[Kennedy No.6975186]

Why is yawning contagious? Science has literally no explanation for this inexplicable phenomenon

[Anonymous No.6975191]

because psychology is an art, not science

[Anonymous No.6975196]

Humans are programmed to inadvertently mimic the actions of others. Why do you not think this should apply to yawning?

[Anonymous No.6975203]

I don't buy that

Sneezing, coughing, laughing etc aren't contagious in the same way yawning is

[Anonymous No.6975209]

>>6975203
Sneezing and coughing are responses to physical stimulii, laughing and yawning are responses to emotional stimulii and therefore mimicable.

[Anonymous No.6975212]

Question. Do you yawn when your cat or dog does? No. When your partner does? Probably.

[Anonymous No.6975221]

Mirror neurons.

[Anonymous No.6975228]

>>6975186
Best explanation I've seen is that it's similar to what howler monkeys do.
If you can imagine that a yawn is something that somewhere down our evolutionary line was much louder, and that one human, being in danger, would yawn,
then you'd have an effective system whereby yawners would alert the general populace of danger and/or summon help.
I'm not sure if we'll Ever know why we yawn though.

[Anonymous No.6975229]

>>6975221

This.

[Anonymous No.6975315]

I yawned when I saw op's pic.

[Anonymous No.6975325]

>>6975191
Then use science to answer the question, phgt.

>>6975209
Yawning isn't emotional. It doesn't mean someone is bored. It's just used as a symbol for boredom just like the sound of grasshopper is used as a symbol of shitty pun.

>>6975228
That would apply to us yelling when scared and in danger, which isn't a warning to others as it is a plea for help.

>>6975315
I yawned when I read your post.

[Anonymous No.6975386]

>>6975186
Here's a question, why the fuck do we yawn anyway?

[Anonymous No.6975393]

>>6975315
I yawned when reading
>Why is yawning contagious?

[Anonymous No.6975400]

>>6975386
To cool the brain

[Anonymous No.6975465]

>>6975191
I think it's more accurate to say it's a proto-science. Kinda like alchemy. It's absolute shit right now but someday might become something better. Problem is people have too much "faith" in science and will believe anything "scientific" with out fact checking. Blind faith, whether in religion or science, is just as damning to society.

[Anonymous No.6975572]

I read an article somewhere that suggested contagious yawning was learned behavior passed down from our ancestors. Basically, they yawned to stay a let and everyone else picked up the habit to keep themselves alert as well

[Anonymous No.6975601]

>>6975465
>takes a stab at religion when unrelated to topic
>enlightened and euphoric

[Anonymous No.6975611]

Neuron entanglement.

[Anon No.6975631]

>>6975186
Easy, it's the same reason monkeys clap their hands when they see humans do it. The same reason you believe what you believe.
You are shaped, you do, and you learn from what you see around you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGIbUK4nw00 here's what vsauce has to say on the subject.

[Anonymous No.6975664]

>>6975572
>>6975631
Then why do cats, solitary creatures, yawn? Dogs yawn too.

I suppose you could argue that these had a common, social ancestor...but still.

[Anon No.6975674]

>>6975664
Cats and dogs yawn because they animals just like us? Most of psychology can be based on all animals, not just humans.

Dogs do also imitate some of human behavior, not in the same degree, but still https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z40cOE5ECI&feature=player_detailpage#t=248

[Anonymous No.6975687]

>mfw yawned after reading this thread

[Anonymous No.6977278]

yawning is a fixed action pattern which means it's one of the simplest instincts hardwired in our brains. it works in response to a stimulus like seeing someone yawn.