Why is Yawning Contagious?
Article Sources
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What Does Yawning Have To Do With Empathy?
Contagious yawning may occur more often in people with higher levels of empathy. People with low levels of empathy, such as those with autism, don't yawn contagiously as often. According to one study, participants who scored lower on a psychological test for empathy tended to yawn less in response to videos of people yawning.5Nahab, Fatta B. ‘Exploring Yawning with Neuroimaging.’ Frontiers of Neurology and Neuroscience, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4041699/
Although research demonstrates a possible correlation between empathy and contagious yawning, it doesn't mean that not yawning in response to someone's yawn is a sign of autism or psychopathic behaviors.
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