Selected Studies on Interoceptive Awareness

Interoceptive awareness, the ability to perceive and interpret internal bodily signals, plays a

crucial role in emotional regulation, decision-making, and overall well-being. This collection of selected studies delves into the various dimensions of interoceptive awareness, exploring its implications across psychological, physiological, and clinical contexts. By examining the latest research, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of how interoceptive awareness influences mental health, enhances emotional intelligence, and contributes to our understanding of the mind-body connection. Below, we present a curated list of significant studies that highlight the importance of interoceptive awareness in both everyday life and therapeutic settings.

* indicates notable paper

• Ainley V & Tsakiris M (2013). Body Conscious? Interoceptive Awareness, Measured by Heartbeat Perception, Is Negatively Correlated with Self-Objectification. PLOS One. 8(2): e55568. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055568

• *Craig, AD (2009). How do you feel — now? The anterior insula and human awareness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 10:59.

• Craig A.D. (2015). How Do You Feel? An Interoceptive Moment with Your Neurobiolgical Self. Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ.

• Craske MG, Wolitzky-Taylor KB, Labus J et al. (2011). A cognitive-behavioral treatment for irritable bowel syndrome using interoceptive exposure to visceral sensations. Behav Res Ther. Jun; 49(6-7): 413–421.

• Field, A. E., Austin, S. B., Taylor, C. B., Malspeis, S., Rosner, B., Rockett, H. R., Gillman, M. W., & Colditz, G. A. (2003). Relation between dieting and weight change among preadolescents and adolescents. Pediatrics, 112(4), 900–906. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.112.4.900

• Herbert BM, Muth ER, Pollatos O, Herbert C (2012) Interoception across Modalities: On the Relationship between Cardiac Awareness and the Sensitivity for Gastric Functions. PLoS ONE 7(5): e36646. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036646.

• *Herbert, B., J. Blechert, M. Hautzinger, E. Matthias, C. Herbert. (2013). Intuitive eating is associated with interoceptive sensitivity… Appetite 70:22–30.

• Jenkinson PM, Taylor L, Laws KR (2018). Self-reported interoceptive deficits in eating disorders: A meta-analysis of studies using the eating disorder inventory. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 110 (2018) 38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.04.005

• *Kjalsa S, Adolph R, Oliver G et al. (2018). Interoception and Mental Health: A Roadmap. Biological Psychiatry:CNNI. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.12.004.

• *Mehling WE, Acree M, Stewart A. et al. (2018). The Multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness, version 2 (MAIA-2). PLOS ONE. May (9): 798.

• Mehling WE, Chesney,MA, Metzler TJ, et al.(2017). A 12-week integrative exercise program improves self-reported mindfulness and interoceptive awareness in war veterans with posttraumatic stress symptoms. J. Clin. Psychol.1–12. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2b22j504

• *Nummenmaa L, Hari R , Hietanen JK et al. (2018). Maps of subjective feelings. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 11;115(37):9198-9203. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1807390115.

• Oswald, A., Chapman, J., and Wilson, C. 2017. Do interoceptive awareness and interoceptive responsiveness mediate the relationship between body appreciation and intuitive eating in young women? Appetite 109:66-72. PMID:27866989

• *Price CJ and Hooven (2018). Interoceptive awareness skills for emotion regulation: Theory and approach of mindful awareness in body-oriented therapy (MABT). Frontiers in Psych. May (9): 798.

• Zamariola G, Cardini F, Mian E et al. (2017). Can you feel the body that you see? On the relationship between interoceptive accuracy and body image. Body Image. Mar;20:130- 136. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.01.005