On the context of yawning: when, where, and why?

• Published in: The Psychological record Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 175 - 183
• Main Authors: GRECO, M, BAENNINGER, R, GOVERN, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Gambier, OH Kenyon College 01-04-1993; The Association for Behavior Analysis International; Denison University, etc; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air breathing; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Psychology; Respiratory system: anatomy, metabolism, gas exchange, ventilatory mechanics, respiratory hemodynamics; Sleep; Social research; Studies; Vertebrates: respiratory system; Yawning; Context; Human; Yawning; Involuntary movement
• ISSN: 0033-2933; 2163-3452

From personal logs kept by 28 subjects of their yawning during 1 week we found that yawns occurred during the hours of transitions between sleeping and waking. During the day yawns were associated with attending class, driving, studying or reading, and watching television. A survey of a much larger sample of subjects disclosed some agreement, but several discrepancies between what respondents believed about their yawning and the actual behavior of those subjects who kept logs.