A recent study suggests that individuals with psychopathic personality traits are less likely to be affected by the phenomenon known as contagious yawning than those who have a normal capacity for empathy. Unsurprisingly, yawning is associated with bonding and empathy. Catching a yawn is not unique to yawns, and occurs among many social mammals, such as chimpanzees and dogs.
The Baylor University researchers titled the study “Contagious yawning and psychopathy.” Their study consisted of 135 college students, and was published online in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. Their hypothesis was, since yawning is related to empathy, it would follow that psychopaths, who have difficulty empathizing, would be less likely to catch a yawn. This is exactly what they found.
The students were given the 156-question Psychopathic Personality Inventory, whose questions set out to determine their fearless dominance, self-centered impulsivity and cold-heartedness. Next, the students sat in front of computers and made to wear noise-canceling headphones. Electrodes were placed below their eyelids, near the outer corners of their eyes, and on their foreheads, as well as to their index and middle fingers. They watched 10-second videos of various social movements, such as a neutral face, a laugh and a yawn. Sure enough, it was found that the less empathy an individual had, the less likely they were to exhibit physiological response of muscle, skin and nerve response associated with yawning. Next time you go on a date with someone, it might be useful to see whether or not they mirror your yawns back to you!
