Why Babies Are Better Than You (and me)

Sitting in front of your potential future boss, staring attentively into his (or her) eyes, nodding with affirmation--look at you Ms. (or Mr., or Mrs....Mz.?) Hotshot, putting this interview to shame. You are Michael Jordan in the 90's.

Wait. No. No, no no. Stop it. Do NOT open your mouth and yawn. Deep breaths, eyes watering, can't focus and...you give up. Surreptitiously covering your mouth with your hand, you attempt a pose reminiscent of Rodin's Thinking Man (you sly fox, you) and suffer the blow to which so many of us succumb.

Alright, so that was probably a bit (or, you know, a lot) overdramatic, but we've all been there. That moment when a yawn sneaks up on you, and you simply can't suppress it. Whether it was sparked by the sight of someone else yawning, hearing the word 'yawn,' a lack of oxygen or fatigue, all of us experience the phenomenon that is yawning on a daily basis.

Though scientists are still uncertain about the origin of this mysterious biological behavior, a recent study by Ailsa Millen and James Anderson posited that, before age five, we are not susceptible to what scientists call 'contagious yawning.' (the yawns that happen when you hear the word 'yawn' and then yawn--try reading that five times without yawning. Sucker.)

The infants and toddlers tested still experienced a normal pattern of yawning: an increase in the morning, decrease in the afternoon and then another increase just before bedtime. However, when exposed to videos of other people yawning, or when in the presence of their yawning parents, these infants and toddlers did not spontaneously yawn, as many of us would.

So why are adults, but not children, able to catch these allegedly 'contagious' yawns? James Anderson (the same James Anderson referenced above, no less) was quoted by The Telegraph saying this on the subject:

"People who score highly for empathy are significantly more likely to show contagious yawning. What we know from other research is that one part of the brain that continues to develop throughout childhood is the frontal cortex and that the frontal lobe plays a role in social decision making and the ability to empathise...That would tie in with the gradual development of contagious yawning during childhood."

Are you an empathetic victim to this harmless monster? Let us know!