Many people have observed that when one person yawns, it triggers others to yawn as well, which is known as contagious yawning. It is commonly believed that only psychopaths are immune to this response. We conducted a study to determine whether an insensitivity to other people’s yawns truly signifies the presence of psychiatric disorders.
It is important to note that psychopathy is not recognized as a diagnosis in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). This classification, which was developed by the WHO, only uses the term “autistic psychopathy” as another name for Asperger’s syndrome. Moreover, the ICD-11 does not mention the word “psychopathy” at all. However, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the standard classification developed by the American Psychological Association, suggests that psychopathy be considered a synonym for antisocial (dissocial) personality disorder.
Modern scientific literature typically refers to subclinical psychopathy, which means psychopathy without visible symptoms, as a component of the “dark triad” along with subclinical narcissism and Machiavellianism. The “dark triad” framework characterizes psychopathy as a neuropsychiatric disorder that involves inadequate emotional interaction, a lack of empathy, and poor behavioral control. These traits can result in continuous antisocial deviations and criminal behavior. The article will consider psychopathy as a personality disorder in the future.
Physiologically speaking, yawning is a reflex that lasts for 4-7 seconds and involves a gradual opening of the mouth. At the end of the mouth-opening, there is a long and deep inhalation of air, accompanied by significant muscle stretching. Following this inhalation, there is a short exhalation and relaxation of the muscles. Although the primary cause of yawning is sleepiness or fatigue, there are several other factors that can induce yawning:
- Brain tumor, stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and certain brain pathologies can cause yawning.
- Taking certain medications can also induce yawning. For instance, uncontrolled intense yawning is a common side effect when taking the antidepressant “Anafranil.”
- Yawning may precede vasovagal syncope, which is a type of fainting caused by stimulation of the vagus nerve. This stimulation leads to a slowing of the heart rate and a sudden drop in blood pressure.
- Yawning can also be linked to thermoregulation issues.
Apart from humans, nearly all vertebrates experience yawning, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and even fish. Scientists have proposed several explanations for yawning. The most widely accepted theory suggests that yawning increases oxygen intake and cools down the brain. However, in the animal world, yawning can also be a part of courtship rituals, such as in penguins, or displays of strength in baboons, guinea pigs, or Siamese fighting fish.
Yawning is undeniably contagious, even among certain animals. This phenomenon is observed in lions and chimpanzees, for instance. Dogs are also prone to yawning after seeing a person yawn, and even the mere imitation of a yawn – where the experimenter deliberately opens their mouth but does not actually feel the urge to yawn – is enough to trigger the behavior in dogs. Researchers have also discovered that a yawning owner is a more significant stimulus for dogs to repeat the behavior than a yawning stranger. However, such behavior cannot be attributed to loyalty or empathy in the animal kingdom, as dogs copied the behavior with the same frequency regardless of whether the experimenter ignored or showed hostility towards the animal before the start of the test.
Experiments on humans have demonstrated a possible link between yawning contagion and empathy. For instance, a group of scientists conducted an experiment involving 24 children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 25 neurotypical children (i.e., without any mental disorders or deviations). Each child was presented with six seven-second videos of adults either imitating or genuinely yawning. The neurotypical children were more prone to the contagion of genuine yawning, while children with ASD demonstrated minimal imitation of the behavior they observed. Nonetheless, the absence of ASD does not necessarily guarantee a high degree of mimicry. Among adults, Italian scientists conducted a study and discovered no correlation between the frequency of copying yawning and various other factors such as gender, age, nationality, etc. The sole factor that increased the likelihood of volunteers yawning was having social ties with the yawning individual. Consequently, relatives “infected” others with yawning more often and with the least delay time between the observed and executed yawn, followed by the subject’s close friends, acquaintances, and eventually strangers. Moreover, the experiments indicated that women and younger people were more susceptible to yawning contagion.
Specialists have observed certain patterns in the relationship between empathy and yawning. Brian Randle, a professor from Baylor University in the USA, conducted an experiment with 135 of his students to investigate this relationship. Initially, the participants completed a questionnaire consisting of 156 questions designed to reveal psychopathic character traits. Next, they were shown 20 10-second videos of individuals yawning, laughing, or displaying no emotions. Randle discovered that participants who exhibited more psychopathic traits in the questionnaire were less likely to “catch” someone else’s yawn.
However, Randle cautions against interpreting his findings too definitively: “The takeaway is not that if someone doesn’t yawn when you do, then they must be a psychopath. Many people don’t yawn, and we know that contagious yawning in response to a stranger’s yawn, with whom we have no friendly relationship, is not common behavior. However, our research indicates that there is some neurological connection, some correlation, between psychopathy and contagious yawning. This is a promising starting point for further investigation.” In other words, the absence of contagious yawning is simply a sign of a low level of empathy, which is present in many people and is not indicative of psychiatric abnormalities. Empathy allows individuals to better understand others, and the problems that can arise from a low level of empathy are difficulties in interpersonal relationships, but nothing more.
Therefore, our response to someone else’s yawn is influenced by various factors, including the level of emotional closeness with the person who yawns. It is important to note that a person who does not respond to another’s yawn cannot be labeled as a psychopath based solely on this observation, as such behavior may simply indicate a low level of empathy.
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