Prompt Cast
The Science Behind Contagious Yawning and its Connection to Empathy
TLDR Contagious yawning is believed to be a result of empathy and may serve as a way to communicate fear and alertness to others. Studies have shown that the response to contagious yawning is lessened when only the mouth is shown, and people with autism, who rely on cues from the eyes, do not have a reaction to yawning.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast discusses how contagious yawning works.
01:09
Yawning and empathy are both strange phenomena that are connected in the sense that contagious yawning is a result of empathetic feelings towards another person.
02:19
Contagious yawning is believed to be a result of empathy, although there are various theories about its purpose, including the idea that it may be a subliminal response to show aggression or a form of communication with animals.
03:30
Contagious yawning may be linked to a fight or flight response, as yawning can make a person more alert and help them respond to fear, and it is believed that contagious yawning evolved as a way to communicate fear and alertness to others in a group.
04:50
Contagious yawning may be triggered by the eyes, as studies have shown that when only the mouth is shown, the response is lessened, and people with autism, who rely on cues from the eyes, do not have a reaction to yawning.
06:02
People with autism have a reduced empathetic response to contagious yawning, but they still respond to the eyes.
Categories:
Society & Culture
