Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40473760›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Chimpanzees yawn when observing an android yawn.

R Joly-Mascheroni, B Forster, M Llorente, C Valsera, A Gomara, D Crailsheim, B Calvo-Merino

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

R Joly-MascheroniCentre for Clinical, Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, School of Health and Medical Sciences, City St George's University of London, Northampton Square, EC1V 0HB, London, UK. ramiro.joly-mascheroni.2@city.ac.uk.
B ForsterCentre for Clinical, Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, School of Health and Medical Sciences, City St George's University of London, Northampton Square, EC1V 0HB, London, UK.
M LlorenteComparative Minds Research Group, Departament de Psicologia, Universitat de Girona, Plaça Sant Domènech 9, 17007, Girona, Spain.
C ValseraResearch Department, Fundació Mona, Riudellots de la Selva, 17457, Girona, Spain.
A GomaraResearch Department, Fundació Mona, Riudellots de la Selva, 17457, Girona, Spain.
D CrailsheimResearch Department, Fundació Mona, Riudellots de la Selva, 17457, Girona, Spain.
B Calvo-MerinoCentre for Clinical, Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, School of Health and Medical Sciences, City St George's University of London, Northampton Square, EC1V 0HB, London, UK. b.calvo@city.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study explores contagious yawning in adult chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in the presence of a non-biological humanoid agent, an android. Chimpanzees observed an android portraying specific facial expressions, including yawns and gapes. The results showed that adult chimpanzees exhibited across-agent yawn contagion, with a graded response: the highest contagion occurred when the android displayed a fully wide-open mouth (Yawn condition), a reduced response when the mouth was partially opened (Gape condition), and no contagion when the android's mouth was closed (Close condition). Additionally, chimpanzees engaged in behaviours associated with drowsiness, such as gathering bedding materials, constructing nests, and lying down, while observing the android yawning. This suggests that yawning by an unfamiliar model may act as a contextual cue for rest, rather than merely triggering a motor resonance response. These findings contribute to the understanding of non-human primates' susceptibility to contagiously induced behaviours, specifically yawns, even when triggered by an artificial agent. This study highlights the role of social factors in shaping yawn contagion and calls for further research on cross-species and cross-agent interactions.

Indexed as

Behavior, AnimalImitative BehaviorPan troglodytesYawningAnimalsFacial ExpressionFemaleMaleSocial BehaviorAndroidChimpanzeeContagionEmpathyYawning

Identifiers

PMID40473760
PMCPMC12141620

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.