Testing the independence of self-reported interoceptive accuracy and attention

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Psychophysiology

Background:

• Interoception, the perception of the body's internal state, is increasingly recognized as crucial for various cognitive and emotional processes.
• Existing models propose categorizing interoceptive perception based on assessment method (objective vs. self-report) and focus (attention vs. accuracy).
• A significant gap exists in validated self-report measures assessing interoceptive accuracy, hindering empirical testing of these theoretical distinctions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel self-report measure, the Interoceptive Accuracy Scale (IAS).
• To enable empirical assessment of the distinction between perceived attention to interoceptive signals and self-reported interoceptive accuracy.
• To explore the relationships between the IAS, trait interoceptive attention, objective interoceptive accuracy, and metacognitive judgments.

Main Methods:

• Development and validation of the Interoceptive Accuracy Scale (IAS) across six studies.
• Correlational analyses examining the IAS's relationship with established measures of trait interoceptive attention.
• Assessment of objective interoceptive accuracy, confidence in specific interoceptive percepts, and metacognition related to interoceptive accuracy.

Main Results:

• The Interoceptive Accuracy Scale (IAS) was successfully developed and demonstrated good psychometric properties.
• Results supported the theoretical distinction between individual differences in perceived attention to interoceptive information and objective interoceptive accuracy.
• The IAS showed meaningful relationships with related constructs, including trait self-reported interoceptive attention and metacognitive judgments.

Conclusions:

• The Interoceptive Accuracy Scale (IAS) provides a valuable tool for researchers to assess self-perceived interoceptive accuracy.
• The findings validate the proposed distinction between attention and accuracy in interoceptive perception, advancing theoretical models.
• This measure facilitates further research into the complex interplay between interoception, self-awareness, and related psychological phenomena.