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Updated: Feb 10, 2026
06:49
A Laboratory Method to Measure Contagious Yawning in Rats
Published on: June 14, 2019
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Contagious yawning, empathy, and their relation to prosocial behavior
Axel Franzen1, Sebastian Mader1, Fabian Winter2
1Institute of Sociology.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|May 18, 2018
Summary
Contagious yawning in humans is linked to higher empathy, but not directly to prosocial behavior. This study explored facial mimicry and its connection to emotional responses in individuals.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Neuroscience
Background:
- Facial mimicry is common in humans.
- Previous research suggests a link between empathy and contagious yawning, but evidence is inconsistent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between contagious yawning, empathy, and prosocial behavior.
- To examine facial mimicry of yawning, scratching, and laughing in response to video stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Two laboratory studies were conducted with 171 and 333 student volunteers.
- Participants were video-recorded while viewing muted videos of yawning, scratching, or laughing.
- Empathy was assessed using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index.
Main Results:
- While participants imitated all observed facial expressions, only contagious yawning correlated with empathy.
- Individuals exhibiting contagious yawning scored higher on empathy measures by 0.5 standard deviations.
- No direct relationship was found between contagious yawning susceptibility and prosocial behavior.
Conclusions:
- Contagious yawning serves as a specific indicator of empathy.
- The susceptibility to contagious yawning does not appear to be a direct predictor of prosocial behavior.
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