# Infectous Yawning

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infectous-yawning/3569>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 28, 1999, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infectous-yawning/3569 "1999-09-28T07:15:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infectous-yawning/3569/1 "1999-09-28T07:15:00Z")

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Why do people yawn when they see someone else yawn? I’ve practically injured myself at times fighting the urge, but I always succumb.

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**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infectous-yawning/3569/2 "1999-09-28T08:48:00Z")

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[www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_309.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_309.html)

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Yer pal,  
Satan

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infectous-yawning/3569/3 "1999-09-28T10:27:00Z")

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Here’s a good car game. When driving alongside cars on the interstate fake a yawn. See how many people you can get to yawn before your exit. This is great to keep those kids entertained. Yawns are infectious from car to car, this does work!

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**Author:** ![Temujin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Temujin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temujin)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infectous-yawning/3569/4 "1999-09-28T10:32:00Z")

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This whole thread made me yawn. Far out!

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**Author:** ![Visual\_Purple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5daacb/32.png) [@Visual\_Purple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Visual_Purple)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infectous-yawning/3569/5 "1999-09-28T23:32:00Z")

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Just reading the title made me yawn.

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infectous-yawning/3569/6 "1999-09-28T23:34:00Z")

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I thought about reading the title and yawned.  
Peace,  
mangeorge

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**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infectous-yawning/3569/7 "1999-09-29T15:20:00Z")

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I used to fake yawns in high school study hall to find out who was looking at me. It works. I picked up a few girlfriends with that trick. Note: You have to catch them yawning several times before you can be sure that they’ve really “got their eye on you”.

One other observation: I can also make babies, dogs, and cats yawn spontaneously by exposing them to fake yawns…