Next time you see a woman yawn, rather than assuming she is tired instead consider how empathetic she appears. Women mimic the yawns of others about a third more than men because they are better attuned to people’s feelings, according to a study.
Researchers at the University of Pisa took note of whenever they saw a person yawn within three minutes of someone else in their group in various public places for five years.
They found that women copied yawns 53 per cent of the time, compared with 41 per cent for men. The study also showed that people were more likely to copy a yawn from a relative or loved one rather than an acquaintance.
“These results not only confirm that yawn contagion is