You could be a psychopath if you don’t yawn.

By ANTHONY JOSEPH for MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:55 EST, 15 August 2015 | UPDATED: 13:38 EST, 15 August 2015


Want to see if someone is a psychopath or not? Try yawning at them. If they yawn back, you’re okay and proceed to befriending them if you wish. If they don’t, perhaps steer clear—they could be distinctly anti-social.

Scientists reveal that people with low empathy levels don’t copy the gestures of others. 

  • Scientists have found that the more psychopathic characteristics people have, the less they are affected by ‘contagious yawning’
  • Researchers from Baylor University tested 135 students for anti-social traits
  • Those who scored highly on ‘cold-heartedness’ were less likely to yawn when shown video clips of facial expressions

Most people will yawn if someone around them yawns. Normal mammals are said to be unable to resist ‘contagious yawning.’

US President Barack Obama yawns during the East Asia Summit plenary session in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2012US President Barack Obama yawns during the East Asia
Summit plenary session in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2012

The researchers from Baylor University in Texas published their findings in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

Read more: Psychopaths don’t yawn study

See also:


The Psychopath’s Sleep of Death

By Thomas Sheridan – thomassheridanarts.com

When a psychopath goes to sleep they literally close their eyes and they are out. While the psychopath sleeps, they may as well be dead. However, if even gently approached during their Death Sleep, they instantly wake up — similar to a feral animal in the wild might do when they sense danger. When they wake up, it is instantaneous and they step out of their bed with no sign of fatigue or a sense of easing into the day — as a normal person would. It is akin to a machine literally switching on and off. Did you personally experience this?

Stray dog - asleep

Stray dog – asleep (Photo: Wikipedia)

Target A: “Switched off! Not a care in the world. Which I could not understand how someone did not even toss and turn when there were so many problems.”

Target B: “Used to talk in his sleep, often, but not all the time. Couldn’t really understand what he was saying. Didn’t think of it being another language, but anything possible with these things. I didn’t listen closely. Oh and if I woke him up, he would awaken as if he was in the middle of a tornado or something. Never woke up peacefully unless on his own. No matter how gentle I did it, either. I mean, jumping out of bed freaking out kind of shit. Like he was ready for a battle.”

Cover sample of "The Death of Sleep"...

Target C: “This is interesting. He would fall asleep in an instant, at anytime of the day. However, when he did go to sleep at night, it was intermittently broken up by his urge to smoke every 2-3 hours.”

Target D: “Death sleep. He would fall asleep instantly. Guess with having no conscience there are the benefits too!”

Target E: “It could fall asleep so easily, and I remember how it could jump up out of bed and be wide awake! I too found myself quite envious of this ‘ability’ as I struggle to fall asleep.”

What’s your experience?
Leave a comment!