Can yawning between couples be contagious

Couples yawning can indeed be contagious, and this phenomenon is related to intimate relationships and empathy. Yawning contagion is mainly influenced by social relationships, empathy levels, environmental factors, neural mechanisms, individual differences, and other factors. Yawning contagion is more common in intimate relationships, especially between couples or family members. When one party yawns, the areas of the other party's brain related to empathy are activated, and this unconscious imitation behavior is called social contagion. Research has found that the closer the relationship between people, the higher the probability of yawning contagion, which may be related to the activity of the mirror neuron system. Couples are more likely to pay attention to each other's subtle movements during their interactions, which increases the possibility of infection. In rare cases, yawning contagion may not be apparent or completely absent. Due to autism spectrum disorder or weak empathy, some individuals have a lower response to others yawning. Some patients with neurological disorders may also lack this infectious phenomenon. Environmental factors such as fatigue and concentration can also affect the probability of transmission. When a person is in a highly focused state, they may ignore the yawning signals of others. In daily life, yawning infection is a normal physiological phenomenon and does not require excessive attention. Couples can reduce fatigue yawning by participating in relaxation activities together and maintaining a regular schedule. If long-term lack of empathy response or other social disorders are found, it is recommended to consult a psychologist or neurologist for evaluation. Maintaining good communication and emotional exchange can help enhance empathy in intimate relationships.