Yawning May Indicate Closeness

Research finds that people are more likely yawn in response to the yawn of someone they know. The "yawn contagion" was highest when responding to family, then friends, then acquaintances, then strangers - the same pattern when measuring empathy in other ways.

Music Makes Kids Nicer

Research suggests music can develop empathy within children. Kids played games demanding rhythmic coordination, others composed music together, others asked kids to copy the music another child played. Other kids routinely met to also play games emphasizing empathy but through words. Only those kids who played musical games significantly increased their empathy. The other kids had slightly higher levels of empathy to begin, but at year's end the music group beat them handily.