You’re sitting in class, when the person across from you yawns. Then the person next to you yawns. Then you get the overwhelming urge to yawn your self. Yawning has been studied over many years, mostly for the why? Why do we need to yawn? A new study on the Discovery website has found information as to why yawning seems to be contagious. It may be a group mechanism to calm down a community, related to empathy. The study found that children over the age of four are triggered by yawning. While children with Autism do not react to yawning at all. This may be due to a connection within the subcounsious mind, that children with Autism lack. While this article obviously supports the information provided, it also includes factual information that is convincing. The next article discusses the parts of the brain that react when yawning. These parts of the brain are also related to empathy, and self processing. It is very nutral in its opinion and seems neither for or against the right and wrong, but is as titled an abstract. This new information is interesting, when it comes to body language and how we affect one another. As humans we communicate subconsciously to each other. When we do, 93% of “what we say” comes from body language.
This scientific research is helpful when wanting to understand human behavior. Without communication we would not have language, culture, technology, magic or anything else that makes us "human". What we do with our bodies has a higher importance than what comes out of our mouth. Like many people say, it’s not what you said, it’s how you said it. The more knowledge we have about communication the better communicators we will be. Good communication is the basis for successful ideas, communities, scientific studies and many other aspects of our daily lives. Including new research, technology and the future study of how communication is changing within the 21st century.
I found the Discovery Article while looking for new and upcoming scientific research. I found this source credible because it comes from the Discovery website. Which is a very well known, established, reliable, organization. The next article is an abstract from a medical journal. While I did use Wikipedia for the 93% fact, I learned this in a previous class (but wanted to able to back it up). I also find Wikipedia to be a good starting point. For anyone else who wants to read some basic information about body language and communication.
Sohn, Emily. "Why is Yawning Contagious."Discovery.com. Discovery Communications, Sept 15, 2010. Web. 15 Sep 2010.
Body language is definitely important in the world today. "It's not what you say, it's how you say it" this is huge when it comes to body language and how we communicate in everyday life; it's what makes us human.
ReplyDeleteBody language is the one language that is understood by all. In the past when I had exchange students living with me, we found that we could often understand each other purely through body language despite the language barrier. One reason why some developmentally challenged people really struggle fitting in, is not because they're "dumb" but because they don't pick up on social ques through body language which leads to awkwardness and social alienation.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this blog because yawning has always fascinated me. Especially the contagious yawning and how people believe that yawning has different meanings - Tired, lack of oxygen, body language etc. I really liked how you addressed this blog and i really believe that humans communicate subconsciously with each other. You had a lot of interesting points that made me want to learn more!
ReplyDeleteThe article and your post referring to it, brings up some very interesting points. The most interesting being sub-conscious communication between a single person or multiple persons. As well as being a possible stress reliever.
ReplyDeleteI think that the topic of yawning is a very interesting one because it is something that most people don't even think about on a day-to-day basis. I think that it was good that you used two different sources so that you were not relying fully on just one. Also, it was great that you tied the two articles together and didn't just talk about each on individually.
ReplyDeleteI never would have connected body language with yawning. I also did not know that children with certain illnesses could did not yawn. I always just thought it was a lack of oxygen to the brain. I also believe body language is very important, that is one of the issues with today's technology, you cannot see the persons reactions. Sometimes things are taken the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteI too, have always thought that yawning was a result of not getting enough oxygen into your system. But I also have always thought that they are contagious.The studies of this topic are very interesting but I would love to know the scientific truth about it all.
ReplyDeleteMythbusters did a study to find out if yawning was contagious. You might find this interesting. I cited a mythbustersresults.com which just has a summation of each myth and it's results, but you can find Mythbusters episodes online with a simple Google search if you want to see the whole episode.
ReplyDelete"Mythbusters Episode 28: Is Yawning Contagious?." Mythbusters Results. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sep 2010. .
I have always been interested in why others tend to feel the urge to yawn when they see someone else yawn. While yawning obviously doesn't spread like a cold, or some other form of disease, it is pretty interesting that scientists seem like they don't exactly know what the answer is to why yawning is contagious. I have always had my theories as to why it seems that yawning is contagious, but many of the ones that you brought up I never would have thought of.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to know what triggers yawning, and why it's so contagious. When i found out that yawning shows signs of empathy and a form of social bonding, it doesn't make sense to me. I had always look at yawning is due to the lack of oxygen in the brain.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I am always catching yawns from people and people are always catching yawns from me! I never knew the scientific reasoning behind it, but I figured it was some subconscious deal, suddenly realizing you are also tired/your brain also needs oxygen. The body does some weird stuff to keep it running. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteI definitally agree that body language will say more then whatever words come out of your mouth. The most common statement made that can be said that contridicts with there body language is "I'm fine." But everyone knows that because they are looking down or figiting, making it appear that everything is not ok.
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ReplyDeleteBody language is something that has always fascinated me about the human species and your post hit a lot of key points in that area. The fact that you connected yawning and the fact that its appears to be "contagious" to the study of body language is of great interest to me as well because I also always assumed yawning was tied to a lack of oxygen in the brain. Therefore, the fact that it is actually part of a subconscious reaction excited me immensely. Thank you for teaching me something new in a field of my interest.
ReplyDeleteThe subconscious has a surprising impact on people, I know whenever somebody near me yawns I try to fight it, but I'm never able to. Its strange that we yawn because of empathy, I like that we have this deep seeded bond between all of us.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is true seeing it happens to most of us. It is very unusual. After I found out it is a type of body language, that was different. I just thought it was something our body did.
ReplyDeleteYawning is so weird to me. It always frustrates me when I see someone else yawn because I know inevitably I am going to yawn as well, even though I know I really don't need to. It is wer what our subconscious can have for an impact on other people.
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