Yawning seems to be more contagious among kind people — or, at least, people who can empathize with others (abstract).
Platek and his colleagues at the State University of New York in Albany sat subjects in front of videos of others yawning and tallied their responses to find out why people are susceptible or immune to contracting yawns.
Those impervious to the infection also struggle to put themselves in other people’s shoes, psychological tests showed. For example, they might be less likely to recognize that a social faux pas or insult could cause someone else offence.
Identifying with another’s state of mind while they yawn may trigger an unconscious impersonation, the team suggests. The findings might also explain why schizophrenics, who have particular difficulty in doing this, rarely catch yawns.
I would add to that I’ve heard it said that small children tend not to catch yawns, and I’ve observed that in the past with Katherine. While small children are aware of others moods, and react to them, they have problems empathizing with how others might feel — hence the idiosyncracy of what “fairness” means.
I’ve lately noticed Katherine beginning to catch yawns, which, I now suppose, is a good thing.
(via BoingBoing)