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9. Is Yawning Contagious?

One factoid of yawning that both theorists can agree on is the notion that yawning is indeed contagious. This is why Andrew C. Gallup, Ph.D., thinks that although yawning has a social effect, a physiological trigger that we are unable to control must drive the action. When you see another person yawn, you are sure to follow; even thinking about it or seeing someone on television yawn might cause you to do it, too. Are you really able to control such a response? However, a study performed by Baylor University suggested that yawning is contagious not because of an unconscious trigger, but depending on the level of empathy a person has.

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