Body Language of Yawning
Cue: Yawning.
Synonym(s): N/A.
Description: An exaggerated opening and stretching of the jaw with inhalation or exhalation of air.
In One Sentence: Yawning indicates boredom, exhaustion, or stress.
How To Use it: Use yawning to show others that you are bored or tired and that they should speed up their presentation or make it more exciting. You can also use yawning to excuse yourself as you aim to retire for the evening.
Context: General.
Verbal Translation: “I’m bored, exhausted or stressed causing me to take an exaggerated inhalation of air, stretch out my jaw and ease some of the discomfort I’m experiencing.” “I’m yawning because I saw someone else do it and I’m mirroring them.”
Variant: N/A.
Cue In Action: a) The interrogator was putting a lot of pressure on the suspect and he began to yawn excessively. b) The session was running on and from the many yawns, it was obvious it was time to wrap things up. c) Think long and hard about yawning and you might just feel compelled to yawn!
Meaning and/or Motivation: Yawning indicates boredom, exhaustion or stress. Yawning is also contagious. Yawning is one of the more pronounced forms of mirroring since it has a contagious element. Yawning in one person can even set off a chain of yawns within the rest of a group, even if the members don’t know each other.
We normally associate yawning with fatigue and this is the usual cause, but in some high anxiety contexts, yawning can signal that pressure is getting to someone. A yawn can help alleviate the dry mouth that is common when people are under pressure because it stimulates salivary glands.
Cue Cluster: Watch for associated cues to determine if a yawn represents stress, mirroring, or fatigue.
Body Language Category: Adaptors, Emotional body language, Leaked or involuntary body language, Nervous body language, Stressful body language.
Resources:
Meltzoff, A. N., and M. K. Moore. 1977. Imitation of facial and manual gestures by human neonates. Science 198:75-78.
Nielsen, Tore; Russell A. Powell and Don Kuiken. Nightmare Frequency is Related to a Propensity for Mirror Behaviors. Consciousness and Cognition. 2013. 22: 1181-1188.
Platek, S. M., F. B. Mohamed and G. G. Gallup. 2005. Contagious yawning and the brain. Cognitive Brain Research 23:448-452.
Provine, R. R. 1986. Yawning as a stereotyped action pattern and releasing stimulus. Ethology 72:109-122.
Provine, R. R. 1989. Faces as releasers of contagious yawning: An approach to face detection using normal human subjects. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society 27:211-214.
Provine, R. R. 2000. Laughter: A Scientific Investigation. New York: Viking.
Provine, R. R. 2005. Contagious yawning and laughing: Everyday imitation- and mirror-like behavior (p. 146). Commentary on: Arbib, M. A. 2005. From monkey-like action recognition to human language: An evolutionary framework for neurolinguistics. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 28:105-167.
Provine, Robert R. 2005. Yawning: The yawn is primal, unstoppable and contagious, revealing the evolutionary and neural basis of empathy and unconscious behavior. Source: American Scientist. 93(6): 532-540.
Provine, Robert R. 2005. Yawning. American Scientist. 2005. 93(6): 532-539
Provine, R. R., and H. B. Hamernik. 1986. Yawning: Effects of stimulus interest. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society 24:437-438.
Provine, R. R. 1986. Yawning as a stereotyped action pattern and releasing stimulus. Ethology 72:109-122.
Provine, R. R., B. C. Tate and L. Geldmacher. 1987. Yawning: No effect of 3-5% C[O.sub.2], 100% [O.sub.2], and exercise. Behavioral and Neural Biology 48:382-93.
Provine, R. R., H. B. Hamernik and B. C. Curchack. 1987. Yawning: Relation to sleeping and stretching in humans. Ethology 76:152-160.
Seunrjens, W. 2004. On yawning or the hidden sexuality of the human yawn. Dissertation. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.