Why does seeing someone yawn make us yawn? 6 Minute English

Georgina: Hello. This is 6 Minute English,

I'm Georgina.

Rob: And I'm Rob.

Georgina: What do you do when you’re tired, Rob?

Rob: Mm, I go to bed.

Georgina: Before that?

Rob: Erm, I clean my teeth?

Georgina: But what does your body do to

tell you you’re tired?

Rob: Right, well these days I just kind of

fall asleep in front of the TV.

Georgina: Yes, but, OK – what am

I doing now?

Rob: O h yes, hang on – yes, you’ve set

me off - yawning, yes yawning is a sign that

we are tired! Or bored!

Georgina: Are you tired or bored now?

Rob: No, not particularly.

Georgina: So, why did you just yawn?

Rob: Well, because you did! That’s the thing

about yawns. They are contagious – they

can spread from one person to another.

Georgina: And that’s what we’re looking

at in this programme. But first, today’s

question. What biological function does yawning

have? Essentially, why do we yawn? Is it:

A: To take in more oxygen

B: To get rid of carbon dioxide from our body

C: No one really knows

What do you think, Rob?

Rob: Ah – I know this. We yawn to take in

more oxygen. I’m pretty sure that’s it.

Georgina: OK. We’ll see if you’re correct

at the end of the programme. John Drury is

a researcher from Sussex University. On

the BBC Radio 4 series All in The Mind he spoke

about yawning and why it is contagious.

Which animal does he mention will also

catch a yawn

from its owner?

John Drury: Yawning is actually a difficult

case when it comes to

these contagious behaviours.

It is the most contagious behaviour – it’s

meant to be automatic, it’s something that

you can’t stop. Dogs yawn when their owners

yawn, animals yawn to each other. It happens

whether you want to or not. These kind of

effects have been found for other kinds of

behaviour, so really, we were trying to push

it as far as we could and see if there is

a cognitive element to this influence behaviour.

Georgina: Which animal might yawn when its

owner does?

Rob: Dogs! Dogs can catch a yawn

from their owners.

Georgina: Yes, yawning is a very contagious

behaviour. The use of the word behaviour here

is interesting. Normally it is an uncountable

noun to describe the way we act – either

in a good or a bad way. We talk about, for

example, dogs' or children’s behaviour being

good or bad.

Rob: But it’s also used as an uncountable

noun when we are talking about a particular

action that, for example, an animal makes

in particular situations. These behaviours

are often not conscious, but are an automatic

response to a situation.

Georgina: And the researchers were looking

to see if there was a cognitive side to the

behaviour. Which means they are looking at

the mental process – what is happening in

the mind to make us yawn, particularly when

someone else yawns. Let’s listen again

John Drury: Yawning is actually a difficult

case when it comes to these

contagious behaviours.

It is the most contagious behaviour – it’s

meant to be automatic, it’s something that

you can’t stop. Dogs yawn when their owners

yawn, animals yawn to each other. It happens

whether you want to or not. These kinds of

effects have been found for other kinds of

behaviour, so really, we were trying to push

it as far as we could and see if there is

a cognitive element

to this influence behaviour.

Georgina: The research discovered

that contagious

yawning is connected with

our social group

and how close we feel to the people in it.

Here’s John Drury again.

John Drury : So, the more that you identify

with the in-group target, the more likely

you are to copy their behaviour. What we do

when we see a behaviour is that at some level,

we are making a judgement about whether the

person exhibiting that

behaviour, whether

it’s an emotion, or a scratching behaviour,

or anything, is relevant. Does

their behaviour

indicate to us how we should behave?

Georgina: So, essentially, yawning is more

contagious if we identify with the person

who yawns first. If we feel close to, and

belong in, the same group as the person who

exhibits the behaviour – the person who

does the yawning – we are likely to yawn

too.

Rob: So, you are less likely to yawn if a

stranger yawns than if someone in your close

family or circle of friends yawns.

Georgina: Let’s listen again.

John Drury: So, the more that you identify

with the in-group target, the more likely

you are to copy their behaviour. What we

do when we see a behaviour is that at some level,

we are making a judgement about

whether the person exhibiting that behaviour, whether

it’s an emotion, or a scratching behaviour,

or anything, is relevant. Does their behaviour

indicate to us how we should behave?

Georgina: Right, before we review the

vocabulary, let’s

have the answer to our quiz. Why do we

yawn? Is it:

A: To take in more oxygen

B: To get rid of carbon dioxide from our body

C: No one really knows

Rob, what did you say?

Rob: Well, I was pretty sure it’s A - to

take in more oxygen.

Georgina: There is, in fact, no clear biological

reason for yawning that is agreed upon. So

no one really knows.

Rob: We’ve been talking about yawning.

The action of opening our mouths wide open and

stretching our eardrums when tired or bored.

Georgina: Yawning can also be contagious.

This means it can pass from

one person to another.

Rob: And a yawn can be described as a behaviour

– a particular kind of automatic action

in response to a particular situation.

Georgina: The word cognitive is related to

our mental processes - the way our minds work.

Rob: If you identify with a particular group

– you feel close to that group and feel

that you belong in that group.

Georgina: And finally, to exhibit a behaviour

is to actually do that particular behaviour.

And before we all start yawning, it’s time

for us to go. Do join us again soon and you

can always find us online, on social media

and on the BBC Learning English app. Bye for

now.