When Robert R. Provine began studying yawning in the 1960s, it wasn’t easy to convince research students of its value as a subject for scientific inquiry. Although yawning might seem like a quirky topic, his choice to study it was a natural progression from his work in developmental neuroscience.
The word "yawn" originates from the Old English terms ganien or ginian, meaning to gape or open wide. However, aside from wide-open jaws, yawning has other significant features that are easy to observe and analyze. Provine used a method based on the contagious nature of yawning to collect data. He instructed people to think about yawning, and once they began to yawn, to press a button that would record the start and end of each yawn.
Provine’s early findings on yawning can be summarized as follows: yawning is highly consistent in its form but can vary in duration. It serves as a classic example of the instinctual 'fixed action pattern' often studied in animal behavior. Unlike reflexes, which are brief and proportional responses to stimuli, a yawn follows a predictable course, much like a sneeze, once initiated. The typical yawn lasts about six seconds but can range from three seconds to significantly longer. There are no "half-yawns"—once it starts, it must complete its full intensity. Yawns can also occur in sequences, with intervals between them generally averaging about 68 seconds. The length of a yawn doesn’t influence how frequently one yawns, meaning shorter yawns don’t lead to more frequent yawning, nor do longer yawns lead to less frequent yawning. Provine also explored different variations of yawning to examine the roles of the nose, mouth, and jaws.
1) Closed Nose Yawn
In this variant, subjects were asked to pinch their noses shut when they felt a yawn coming on. Most were able to complete the yawn without any problems, indicating that nostrils are not essential for the process. The mouth provides enough airflow for a yawn to occur.
2) Clenched Teeth Yawn
Subjects clenched their teeth while allowing air to flow through their slightly open lips. This produced a sensation of being stuck mid-yawn, demonstrating that opening the jaws is essential for a yawn to fully complete. This also showed that yawning isn’t just a deep breath, as clenching the teeth hinders the process much more than it does during regular breathing.
3) Nose Yawn
This test assessed whether yawning can occur solely through nasal breathing. Unlike normal breathing, which can happen through either the nose or mouth, yawning could not be completed with nasal inhalation alone. As in the clenched teeth yawn, participants felt stuck mid-yawn, showing that an open mouth is crucial for yawning to complete. However, exhalation could be performed through either the nose or mouth.
Provine’s experiments demonstrated that proper yawning requires both oral inhalation and jaw gaping. The motor program controlling yawning will not finish without feedback that these actions have been completed.
However, yawning involves much more than just airway movements and jaw gaping. It also includes stretching facial muscles, tilting the head back, narrowing or closing the eyes, producing tears, salivating, opening the Eustachian tubes in the middle ear, and other respiratory and cardiovascular activities. Yawning may share similarities with other behaviors. For instance, Provine considered whether a yawn could be seen as a slow sneeze, or a sneeze as a fast yawn, given that both involve jaw gaping, eye closing, and head tilting.
Yawning and stretching are often linked, and they may function together as part of a broader motor complex. Research conducted by J. I. P. deVries in the early 1980s, which used ultrasound to observe fetal movement, found a connection between yawning and stretching. An extraordinary example of this yawn-stretch connection is seen in stroke patients who are paralyzed on one side of their body. The British neurologist Sir Francis Walshe observed in 1923 that, when these patients yawn, their paralyzed arm may involuntarily rise and flex—a phenomenon known as an "associated response." This suggests that yawning activates undamaged motor connections in the brain, enabling the paralyzed limb to move. Whether this movement is a sign of potential recovery or serves a therapeutic purpose to prevent muscle deterioration remains unknown.
Provine suggested that yawning likely serves multiple functions, and focusing on a single explanation might be unrealistic. Yawning seems to occur during transitions between different behavioral states, acting as a signal of change. It also reminds us of the ancient, unconscious behaviors that connect us to the animal world, underlying our layers of culture, logic, and language.Questions 1-6
Complete the summary below using the list of words, A-K, below
Write the correct letter, A-K, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
Provine's early findings on yawns
Through his observation of yawns, Province was able to confirm that 1 do not exist.
Just like a 2 , yawns cannot be interrupted after they have begun. This is because yawns occur as a 3 rather than a stimulus response as was previously thought.
In measuring the time taken to yawn, provive found that a typical yawn lasts about 4 .. He also found that it is a common for people to yawn a number of times in quick succession with the yawns usually being around 5 apart. When studying whether length and rate were
connected. Province concluded that people who yawn less do not necessarily produce 6 to make up for this.
A
form and function
B
long yawns
C
3 seconds
D
fixed action pattern
E
68 seconds
F
short yawns
G
reflex
H
sneeze
I
short duration
J
6 seconds
K
half-yawns
Questions 7-11
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 7-11 on your answer sheet.
7. What did Provine conclude from his 'closed nose yawn1 experiment?
A Ending a yawn requires use of the nostrils.
B You can yawn without breathing through your nose
C Breathing through the nose produces a silent yawn.
D The role of the nose in yawning needs further investigation.
8. Provine's clenched teeth yawn's experiment shows that
A yawning is unconnected with fatigue.
B a yawn is the equivalent of a deep intake of breath.
C you have to be able to open your mouth wide to yawn.
D breathing with the teeth together is as efficient as through the nose.
9. The nose yawn experiment was used to test weather yawning
A can be stopped after it has stated
B is the result of motor programing
C involves both inhalation and exhalation.
D can be accomplished only through the nose.
10. In people paralyzed on one side because of brain damage
A yawning may involve only one side of the face.
B the yawing response indicates that recovery is likely
C movement in paralysed arm is stimulated by yawming
D yawning can be used as an example to prevent muscle wasting.
11. In the last paragraph, the writer concludes that
A yawning is a sign of boredom.
B we yawn is spite of the development of our species
C yawning is a more passive activity than we Imagine
D we are stimulated to yawn when our brain activity is low.
Questions 12-14
Questions 12-14
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage?
In boxes 12-14 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
12 Research students were initially reluctant to appreciate the value of Provine's studies.
13 When foetuses yawn and stretch they are learning how to control movement.
14 According to Provine, referring to only one function is probably inadequate to explain why people yawn.
Questions 1-6
Complete the summary below using the list of words, A-K, below
Write the correct letter, A-K, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
Provine's early findings on yawns
Through his observation of yawns, Province was able to confirm that 1 do not exist.
Just like a 2 , yawns cannot be interrupted after they have begun. This is because yawns occur as a 3 rather than a stimulus response as was previously thought.
In measuring the time taken to yawn, provive found that a typical yawn lasts about 4 .. He also found that it is a common for people to yawn a number of times in quick succession with the yawns usually being around 5 apart. When studying whether length and rate were
connected. Province concluded that people who yawn less do not necessarily produce 6 to make up for this.
A | form and function | B | long yawns | C | 3 seconds |
D | fixed action pattern | E | 68 seconds | F | short yawns |
G | reflex | H | sneeze | I | short duration |
J | 6 seconds | K | half-yawns |
|
|
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 7-11 on your answer sheet.
7. What did Provine conclude from his 'closed nose yawn1 experiment?
A Ending a yawn requires use of the nostrils.
B You can yawn without breathing through your nose
C Breathing through the nose produces a silent yawn.
D The role of the nose in yawning needs further investigation.
8. Provine's clenched teeth yawn's experiment shows that
A yawning is unconnected with fatigue.
B a yawn is the equivalent of a deep intake of breath.
C you have to be able to open your mouth wide to yawn.
D breathing with the teeth together is as efficient as through the nose.
9. The nose yawn experiment was used to test weather yawning
A can be stopped after it has stated
B is the result of motor programing
C involves both inhalation and exhalation.
D can be accomplished only through the nose.
10. In people paralyzed on one side because of brain damage
A yawning may involve only one side of the face.
B the yawing response indicates that recovery is likely
C movement in paralysed arm is stimulated by yawming
D yawning can be used as an example to prevent muscle wasting.
11. In the last paragraph, the writer concludes that
A yawning is a sign of boredom.
B we yawn is spite of the development of our species
C yawning is a more passive activity than we Imagine
D we are stimulated to yawn when our brain activity is low.
Questions 12-14
Questions 12-14
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage?
In boxes 12-14 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
12 Research students were initially reluctant to appreciate the value of Provine's studies.
13 When foetuses yawn and stretch they are learning how to control movement.
14 According to Provine, referring to only one function is probably inadequate to explain why people yawn.