title: Popular knowledge and beliefs.
abstract: Although few things are as common as yawning, it has traditionally held little interest for researchers and enquiring minds of all disciplines. Yawning is a recognized behavior in almost all vertebrates, present throughout life, which often procures a sense of well-being for the yawner. Modern science is still searching for a complete explanation of the mechanisms and purpose of yawning, with debate about its usefulness as a stimulatory mechanism still ongoing. In this paper, we offer an overview of the popular beliefs and myths seen within Arabic, Western and Indian cultures.
authors.affiliation: General Practice, Brou, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Walusinski
mesh_terms: D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D015000:Yawning / Q000502:physiology*