Why are yawns contagious?

My science teacher gave me the most lame answer and I doubt its right but please correct me if I am wrong..he said that people yawn because its the brains way of saying "I fit in with everyone else" and he was sooo serious because I was like WHAT!? Are you sure? But he said yes that its are way of thinking we fit in, I'm sorry but that made no sense to me...."Oh let me yawn with you because thats cool and I am cool" umm no

Has anyone ever done research about it or actually asked the doctor? Or is it one of those unanswered question things?!
*yawns*

It may sound sad, but I think about this so much! No one actually knows the answer to why we yawn, but it is totally contagious! I read someone that wolfs or dogs or something like that do it in the north pole yawn as like a signalling thing, so I guess that's sort of saying "I fit in with everyone else 'cos we are all standing here yawning". Lol, this really bugs me, I wan't to know the answer!!

I have no idea. But when I read:

" Or is it one of those unanswered question things?!
*yawns*"

I yawned lol. That's pretty messed up.

Your teachers a dumb ass -.- Jesus, you yawn because your tired........ -o- *yawns* mmmm
-.- zZzZzZ

-*-Cherri-*-

ps: TWO OR MORE PPL CAN BE TIRED AT ONCE DUHHH! *rolls eyes* how really sad if ur teacher doesn't know that..... jeeze

*Yawns* man just reading this post made me yawn.... someone I know said its because your brain thinks someone else is getting more air than you so it yawns to make up for it lmao!

LMAO Katie..omg omg now I have to apologize for tihinking he was smokin crack..haha I actually said that to him *blushes*..that is so crazy,....but really I don't yawn because you do! I mean..how is that a copycat? Like I don't mean to..omg whatever haha im getting myself confused!

LOL cherri I didn't say why do we yawn? I asked why they are contagious!

omg i yawned again! haha

LMAO Katie!

I don't know it is pretty interesting and weird...because I did yawn when I read this. Just thinking about yawning makes me yawn. It is indeed contageous, but I don't think anyone has come up with a valid explanation yet as to why we all do so.

I don't think it has much to do with lack of oxygen to your brain because otherwise people would wake up in the middle of their sleep just to yawn. Everybody unconciusly wakes up (hope you sort of get what I mean) atleast 3 or 4 times in an hour because they stop breathing. But they don't yawn after, they just fall right back into their dreaming period.

And I yawn often when I'm not tired at all. Bored maybe, but not tired.

I'm thinkin' it has something to do with the brain thinking that because others are yawning, we should yawn too. Not necissarily to 'be cool' as you stated. But I mean, if someone were running from a fire screaming, 'RUN'...Would you not run? Perhaps the brain just picks up on someone elses yawn and thinks, wow it's about that time again - Lets make her/him yawn!... (wow anyone smell cheese cus that was rediculous)... But point is, it does probably have something to do with what your teacher stated - perhaps a little bit of somethin' else to... Personally I don't hold enough interest in the topic, I understand why people would - but I've thought about it so long it only annoys me to think about it more. Nothing beats me like this lol.

Good luck in finding the answer though!

hahahahahahaha!

hmmmmmm....

Yaaawwwwnnnnn...

I agree with museum because it's what I have heard before and it seems to make sense

Because we realize we're also bored, tired, [enter reason of yawning], etc. and we yawn....=P

=( I yawned too! I'm fairly sure it has something to do with this:

DO NOT THINK ABOUT PINK ELEPHANTS

What's the first thing that comes into your mind?

Exactly.

hehe... I can't stop yawning.... *yawns* There is a theory about needing to get more oxygen but it is yet to be proved. It could also be realated to being tired as it stretches your face muscles and wakes you up a bit.

Mind over matter. If you yawn.. people think they are going to, and kinda force themselves to. Pathetic really... people can't control themselves. Lol.

-Jennifer.

the whole copycat thing sorta makes sense if someone pushes me in a game i'm gonna push them back to level the playing field it might just be crazy psychological stuff like that at least for the contagious part

but why we do it in the first place?

I agree with Museum

"but why we do it in the first place?"

Because when we think of big culo, we try to see if we can fit it all in our mouth.

I yawned about 10 times while reading this thread... crazy. I did hear something about yawning because the brain is trying to get oxygen...

I agree with Museum, well thats what my teacher said:)

it hasn't been proven.

i agree with Museum too cuz i asked my science teacher (he's a body builder/teacher/weirdo) and he said the same thing!!!!! he has like a P.H.D. in scince so lol *YAWNS*

i actually did research on this. i don't exactly remember what i read, but it was something along the line of our brain and heart needing oxygen, that's why we yawn. that or perhaps the simple fact that we could be tired. and i read that if you yawn all the time, like non stop, you could have a heart problem.