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Sunday, March 4, 2012

Contagious Yawning

Of course you already knew yawning was contagious!  It's almost impossible not to yawn when someone else does it!  I looked up a few facts about yawning that I thought were interesting.

  1. 55% of people who witness someone yawn will yawn themselves.
  2. Yawning when others yawn, could be a sign of empathy and a form of social bonding. Kids don't develop this deeply rooted behavior until around age four.
  3. Fetuses begin yawning in the womb as early as 11 weeks after conception.
  4. For reasons scientists still can't explain, spontaneous yawning continues throughout life. (Studies have shot down theories about yawning to bring in more oxygen.) In fact, all vertebrates yawn, including birds, hippos, snakes and lizards.  With all the bird watching I do, I have never seen a bird yawn.  Now how adorable would that be?  ha.
  5. Contagious yawning is a different story. Only humans, chimpanzees and possibly dogs have been shown to do it.  Although, I yawned before taking the photo above, and Whisker immediately yawned after me.  No kidding! ha.
  6. Like contagious laughter and contagious crying, scientists have theorized that contagious yawning is a shared experience that promotes social bonding
  7.  Kids with autism are half as likely to catch yawns. In the most severe cases, they never do.  A recent study postulates that contagious yawning could be part of the "neural network involved in empathy." which could explain why kids with autism don't catch the "need" to yawn when they see other's do it. My boys with autism rarely yawned when they were younger.  They do yawn occasionally now, but it isn't a contagious thing.
But I have to say, I have yawned about a dozen times just typing up this post!  Just thinking about it makes me do it.  How about you?  Did I make you yawn?




info from wiki.com, ask.com and yahooanswers.com




80 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I can barely type anymore, Gloria...every time I sit down at my desk Whiskers is there and insists on laying on my arms. haha.

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    2. you know the cats are more... we say regalones but in english would be more love care them!! teh dogs are more independents but Rex (the old of my dogs) when Im in computer always come an put how head in my knee (is a big dog) and wait I make something to him..

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    3. Betsy in my sidebar I put a Rex pic if you want see him (lol)

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    4. he puts his head on your knee? Awww! That is just so cute! OK...I'll come take a look at Rex...

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    5. Oh, Gloria..he's a big dog! Nice. German Shepherd? I love that kind of dog. :) He looks nice.

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    6. beautiful, beautiful roses on your sidebar, too! Wow..that is such a nice color!

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    7. Yes he is, is a German Shpeherd and so big, and he loves to pet him ...normally is out but he enter and put his head in my knee

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    8. ah these roses are from my yard I taked tpday I was some tests because my camera die and I take with my cel and smell delicious!

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    9. that is just the cutest thing. Pets are so sweet. Sounds like he loves you!

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    10. Yes I think all the dogs love me Im sure :)
      I feed them (lol)

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    11. Beautiful photo from a cell! You did great with that!

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    12. Im so sad by my camera betsy, I have to buy other :(

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    13. yea, being the one with the food does help! ha. But he knows you're nice, too, I am sure!

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    14. What happened to your camera? Did you drop it or did it just wear out?

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    15. I dont know it have 3 years is like yours but dont take pictures:( is like really die, You know with a recipes blog really I need my pictures, fortunately I find some recipes I dont post so I will post

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    16. well, your cell will do fine until you get a new camera. And you can always sharpen or brighten them up in Picasa if you need to. It will be fine.

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    17. Betsy that I wanted asked you ( I wanna asked to other but dont answer me) where I find my picassa pictures, I dont find with alll these changes of Blogger Did you know?

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    18. Have you used Picasa before or do you want to do it for the first time?

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    19. I always have pictures in Picassa but now I dont find, maybe is with other name

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    20. Oh, I see. Well, my picasa is the same still. I wonder if it's because you are using your cell instead of your camera?

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    21. I dont know, well I will try to fund thanks Betsy!

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    22. That's the only thing I can think of. Next time you download from your camera, see where it says it will 'save' your file to. I don't think it is blogger this time. Sorry I don't have any other suggestions.

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    23. OK thanks Betsy I dont find any part in blogger (now) that explain it

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    24. if the problem started when you started taking pictures with your cell, then I bet that is it. They are saved in another file.

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  2. Funny... That post wasn't boring at all, but somehow I found myself yawning!

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    Replies
    1. maybe you were attempting some social bonding? ha.

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    2. Heh. I guess that's one way of putting it...

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  3. Replies
    1. dogs are good yawners! and contagious yawners, too! Cst's aren'
      t supposed to be able to to it contagiously, but I did make Whiskers yawn. Unless it was comletely a coincidence. ha.

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    2. Sometimes is contagiously others not, I know

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  4. ha, I did,twice! strange how that works! :)

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    Replies
    1. I know! It is kinda funny. But it feels good, too!

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  5. You got me! I tried to hold it back, but I've yawned a few times while typing this.

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    Replies
    1. ha! I think the more you try not to, the harder it is!

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  6. LOL! I yawned while reading this!

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  7. Betsy I make my new post if you want to see later, I had some pictures of recipes with my old camera:)

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  8. You made me yawn.

    I think we yawn to get air into the deep chasms of our lungs. They say it's good for one to breathe deep. (Well, it makes sense to me.)

    I need to get off of this page :O

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  9. I have a parrot and she yawns all the time...it is quite funny! And yes, I did yawn reading this post but I was yawning before that. 8:00 pm is late for me!!

    XO,
    Jane

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    Replies
    1. you have a parrot? Well, that is very cool. Get a picture of her yawning some time!

      ok...off to bed, Jane...it's past 8 o'clock. lol.

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  10. I made it without a single yawn
    I guess I'm no good at social bonding at my lawn
    But then I could have told you that
    With old hermit Pat
    I could force myself to yawn though
    If you want me to let one flow
    Never scene a bird yawn either at my sea
    But I guess they just get eaten to quickly by a kitty..haha
    Glad Orlin only insists on being on my shoulders as I type
    At least I can get things to come out of the pipe..haha

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    Replies
    1. Sitting on your shoulders? Well, how cute is that!
      You should take a picture of that!
      Just point the camera up high
      and snap one in his eyes.
      ha.
      I wish Whiskers would do that.
      This way gives my back a cramp!
      If I throw her down she jumps right back up
      and gives a little meow telling me to shut up.
      lol.

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    2. hahaha yes it's their way or the highway
      Orin will bit my toes if I throw him away
      Cassie just lies beside me or one back the couch/chair
      And maybe rests her paw on my hair
      Not getting in the way one bit
      Unlike Orlin and his fit
      Pictures are hard to do with him
      Because he sees the camera and runs off on a whim
      I think he is camera shy
      Or he just doesn't want me to pry..haha

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    3. a paw on your head? That is just too sweet!
      She has manners, unlike her brother who bites your feet.
      My cats don't mind the camera as you can probably tell
      they especially think the swinging lens cover is swell. ha.

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    4. Yes she leaves up to her name
      And is quite Prissy and tame
      Unlike the other one
      Who knocks everything down as he goes for a run
      He does try to eat the string on the lens cap though
      As he runs to and fro

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  11. nope but those are mighty fine teeth on that cat! Great yawning facts

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    Replies
    1. i yawned reading this...haha...dang it...it was the pic....dont do that....smiles...

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    2. no yawning for laurie! Well, good for you. ha.

      Brian ~ I just KNEW you would! lol...

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  12. I think I'm past yawning, probably should head to...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

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  13. Yes, I think I did...and again... BTW I noticed in your sidebar that you are part Cherokee. I always thought I was a 16th, but found out this past week from my sister who has been doing some research of our family, that I'm 1/4 Cherokee. However, I guess out family didn't want to admit it, and so we are not on the role books. Another thing we have in common!

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    Replies
    1. wow..that is so neat! My great, great grandmother was a full blooded Cherokee. Our dark eyes give us away, don't they? ha.

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  14. I, too, yawned as I read your post. Contagious, yes!

    That is such an interesting fact about yawning and autistic kids. I forget if I have told you this or not, but I have 2 autistic grandsons and always tune into what you write about autism in general and your sons in particular.

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    1. I don't think you mentioned that, no! It is interesting that they don't, or seldom do, yawn. I did notice that with my own when they were toddlers. Taylor would yawn those big cute baby yawns and they never did. I had no idea it was a social or neurological thing at the time, but it does make sense.

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  15. I'm yawning with the kitty! LOL!! Such interesting facts about yawning!!

    Take care
    x

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  16. Interesting stuff! And yes I thought about breaking out a yawn but didn't have one ready! And that hot chocolate up top has got me craving. Lots of subliminal messaging going on today :)

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  17. I do yawn when I see someone else yawn.I think its true.I love the photo LOL.

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  18. i have noticed that to be true..........YAWN>................
    hee, cute picture!

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  19. Whiskers has me going [insert yawn]. ;) Interesting info about the yawn. I do think it would be VERY cute to see a bird yawn! blessings ~ tanna

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    1. I'm going to be watching the spring birds especially close this year with my binoculars...looking for yawns. During the baby-feeding season I should surely see a few parents yawn, don't you think?

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  20. What an interesting post, I have also noticed that some people yawn out of boredom or some sort of nervosity. And yes, you almost made me yawn but then again I was up early today.;))
    xoxo

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  21. I didn't yawn--I thought about it, but I didn't actually do it. :) What a cute yawn from Whiskers though. Cats are experts at relaxing! I heard someone say if you want to know where the most comfortable chair in the house is---look where the cat is sleeping. hahaha :)

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  22. Yes I did, how funny is that? Very interesting post. Have a great day and stay awake. Connie

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  23. I just yawned. Not even kidding! Omg, it really even is contagious. lol

    I constantly yawn, but not b/c I'm not tired or anything. I just do it to pop my ears b/c they love to get congested. haha You should add that to your list :)

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    Replies
    1. haha...you should see me on an airplane. I have to yawn a million times to unpop my ears. I'm sure I look very goofy.

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  24. I am a joiner and so I am still yawning. I see someone yawn and I join in. And then I get other people to join, which can then turn to laughter which makes it hard to yawn. And the picture is totally making me yawn.

    God bless.

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  25. Yes, I'm yawning - but it is my bedtime! G' night.

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  26. My son with autism does not catch yawns. When he is having a hard time falling asleep, I've tried yawning to see if it would help make him sleepy. He never reciprocates, and it never seems to make him sleepy, but it sure makes me feel tired! :)

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    Replies
    1. It is interesting that they don't catch that, isn't it? It has to be a neurological connection thing. The article I read quoted a doctor mother who was trying to make her autistic child yawn on an airplane flight to unplug the child's ears. And she yawned and yawned but the child didn't catch it. That's when she realized that there must be a connection to the autism.

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    2. Yes, I have read about that, too. Our son's psychologist told us about how kids with autism have dysfunctional mirror neurons. And so, we're trying to teach the kind of empathy that happens naturally with most people.

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  27. Okay Betsy...YOU have spoiled those kitties!!!!! Just look at THAT kitten on your computer table! I am laughing!!!!!!

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  28. I am laughing! I was catching up on a few of your posts and although it is late I was not yawning. But... after reading this one... I can't STOP yawning! Contagious even over the internet! Hee hee! xx

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  29. Betsy I place a picture of my house in the sidebar if you want to see later:)

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  30. I yawned twice while reading this...well, once when I saw the picture and once while reading the post. Haha! My oldest son has Asperger's syndrome and I asked him just for fun if he yawns when someone else does. He said yes.

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  31. Hi Rachel! I recognize you from Martha's blog! :) Thanks so much for commenting!

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