The phenomenon of yawning and its contagious nature is indeed intriguing. While the exact purpose of yawning remains a subject of ongoing research and debate, there is some evidence to support the idea that it might have social and physiological significance.
The fact that seeing or hearing about yawning can trigger yawning in many people suggests that it may have a social or communicative aspect. Yawning in response to others' yawns might serve as a form of nonverbal communication or social bonding, promoting group alertness and synchronization. However, more research is needed to fully understand this aspect of yawning.
The idea that yawning may help us calm down or regulate our physiological and mental states is another interesting theory. It could potentially play a role in transitioning between different states of alertness or help regulate brain temperature. However, these theories are still being explored and are not definitively proven.
The claim that a significant percentage of people yawn after reading or thinking about the word "yawn" may be related to the psychological suggestion or priming effect. When we read or think about yawning, our brain might associate it with the action itself, triggering the yawn reflex in some individuals. This phenomenon highlights the complex interplay between the mind and body.
They said that whatever the motive, yawning spreads like a contagion, but even thinking about it or saying the word makes you yawn, at least 55 percent of people do.