“[Dr. Steven] Platek says that yawning is contagious in about 60 to 70 percent of people — that is, if people see photos or footage of or read about yawning, the majority will spontaneously do the same. He has found that this phenomenon occurs most often in individuals who score high on measures of empathic understanding. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, he found that areas of the brain activated during contagious yawning, the posterior cingulate and precuneus, are involved in processing our own and others’ emotions. ‘My capacity to put myself in your shoes and understand your situation is a predictor for my susceptibility to contagiously yawn,’ he says.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQZSnmgyw5U