Question

Mariam went for a job interview. Mariam and the interviewing committee members were all seated around a large boardroom table. It was a group of 7 people. During the interview she was asked questions by the manager and by his assistant mostly. It was going well. At some point when she was telling about her education one of the people in the interviewing committee started yawning. Half a minute later the assistant manager yawned too. And then the manager yawned also. (1) What effect have we observed in this situation? What effect that we learned about does this example illustrate? (2) What is Mariam likely to think in this situation if she doesn't know about this effect?

Answer 1

1) Sympathetic Yawning or Contagious Yawning is what happened in the above example.

One of the people in the interview committee started yawning and half a minute later the assistant manager yawned too. And then the manager yawned also.

If one person yawns, this may cause another person to "empathetically" yawn.

Not only observing another person's yawning face (especially his/her eyes) but also reading or thinking about yawning, or looking at a yawning picture can cause a person to yawn.

Scientists have proposed many theories but none of them have accurately verified as a specific cause for yawning.

Yawning can be because of tiredness, boredom but not only these are the reasons entirely. Yes the people in the interview panel can be tired and by yawning there will be an increase in heart rate which makes the individual alert. So it can be seen as a sign of alertness and an arousal process from drowsiness also.

Yawning can also be a process to relieve stress and also can be a process to cool down the brain temperature.

Some researches had shown that Sympathetic Yawning as a sign that indicates empathy. It indicates an appreciation of other people behavioral and physiological state.

If we look at the example closely, yawning hasn't been started by Mariam and she hasn't yawned in this contagious yawning cycle from the given information. But we can say that the manager and assistant manager were in sync with the committee. The committee may be not so enthusiastic about her profile but it was given that "interview is going well" until the yawning started so they may be just tired but have very good intent or interest in listening to her that's why the brain is keeping them alert by causing yawns.

2) While one was talking the other person yawns he/she might think the other person is getting bored or not interested with his/her talks.

Society has stamped yawning as a sign of disinterest or sleepiness or tiredness. But new researches were proving them wrong.

Mariam with out knowledge of the contagious yawning effect may think that the interview panel is not interested in her profile and may feel discouraged or even offended also as they (Manager and Assistant Manager ) were yawning while she was talking about her education.

But that may not be the true case. Infact the panel may be so intrested in her profile also.