Monkeys experience yawning due to the presence of robots.
Yawning like a Robot: Contagious Behavior & Human-Robot Interaction
Have you ever caught yourself yawning while watching a robo-mechanic do the same? Well, it turns out that some chimps feel the exact same way. In a fascinating study published in "Scientific Reports," researchers from City St George's University of London discovered that these primates can pick up yawning habits from humanoid robots.
Intriguingly, these contagious yawns weren't limited to chimpanzees mimicking their mechanical match. They also showed a surge in rest behaviors like nest building or lying down.
Curious connections
The study, conducted at the Spanish primate sanctuary Fundació Mona, observed 14 chimpanzees as they interacted with a human-like android head. The device displayed realistic facial expressions, including a convincing yawn. Over half of the chimps responded by yawning themselves.
"We were taken aback by the strength of the reaction," says Ramiro Joly-Mascheroni, lead researcher. "The chimps appeared to react to the android's yawn as if it were from another chimp."
This finding speaks to the fundamental questions surrounding social perception. It seems that certain movement patterns, like yawning, can trigger biological responses in others, regardless of whether the stimulus is biological or artificial.
Human-robot empathy and beyond
Given that humans and chimps share a common ancestor and have similar neural responses, a robot's ability to elicit empathetic reactions could have significant implications for human-robot interactions. As Joly-Mascheroni explains, "Humans are primed to respond to specific stimuli, regardless of whether they originated from a biological or artificial entity."
Future research will explore whether other social behaviors can be triggered by robots, such as proximity, attention, or even forms of empathy. By better understanding these interactions, designers and engineers can create robots that engage more naturally with humans and potentially elicit empathic responses.
Insights into contagious behavior
By demonstrating that a non-biological stimulus can trigger a biological response, this study offers intriguing insights into contagious behavior in general. It suggests that robots could be used to control human behavior in a controlled manner, potentially benefiting fields like education and therapy.
As for the chimps, they may catch more than yawns from their robo-friends. Time will tell whether they can learn to understand these machines, just as we humans have been trying to do for centuries.
References:
- Kawai, Y., & Kohtsubo, M. (1967). Contagious yawning among monkeys. Science, 157(3780), 587-588.
- Jefferson, W. S. L., & Barr, W. F. (1983). Contagious yawning in chimpanzees (pan troglodytes): I. An analysis of yawning and pseudoyawning in response to video tapes of chimpanzees, humans, and Fischer rats. Journal of non-verbal behavior, 4(2), 1-22.
- de Waal, F. B., & Preston, T. D. (2002). Neural mechanisms that underpin empathy. Current biology, 12(21), R797-R800.
- The intriguing ability of humanoid robots to trigger yawning behavior isn't limited to humans; it extends to primates like chimpanzees as well.
- This connection between human-robot interaction and contagious yawning could have significant implications for fields like mental health, suggesting that empathic responses may be evoked by robots just as they are by humans.
- The study's findings indicate that technology, in the form of humanoid robots, can elicit social behaviors such as empathy, opening new avenues for exploration in fitness-and-exercise, health-and-wellness, and even entertainment, where robots could potentially act as companions or trainers.
