What is a yawn a sign of?

A scientific study suggests ‘contagious’ yawns are a sign of deep empathy. They are caused by an irrepressible need to share and understand the emotions and feelings of others. Contagious yawning activates the same parts of the brain that govern empathy and social know-how. And studies have shown that humans with more fine-tuned social skills are more likely to catch a yawn. The ’emotional bridge’ created by the shared experience enhances social bonding.

Biologists believe contagious yawns are caused by an involuntary re-enactment of the facial expression seen in others. ‘Mirror neurons’ in the pre-frontal cortex – the brain region involved in social behaviour fire when certain expressions are seen in other people, prompting us to instinctively copy them. This ‘mirror system is strongest between people who are emotionally attached, probably by shared memories.

Picture Credit : Google

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