If I know myself, do I know you? Exploring the link between  interoception, body appreciation and  emotion recognition

Interoception i.e. the perception of our internal bodily functions has been found to relate to the perception of our physical appearance, as well as our perception of other people’s emotions. As interoception was also shown to play an important role in several mental health conditions (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder and depression), exploring these relationships in clinical population is crucial for improving people’s interoceptive ability, perception of emotions of others as well as body image. Therefore, one objective of this study was to thoroughly explore how interoceptive accuracy and interoceptive awareness relate to accuracy in emotion recognition as well as the level of perceived emotional intensity. Another objective was to examine the association between interoceptive awareness and body appreciation. A sample of 99 participants completed a facial emotion recognition task measuring accuracy and intensity ratings of five facial expressions – anger, fear, happiness, sadness,...Show moreInteroception i.e. the perception of our internal bodily functions has been found to relate to the perception of our physical appearance, as well as our perception of other people’s emotions. As interoception was also shown to play an important role in several mental health conditions (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder and depression), exploring these relationships in clinical population is crucial for improving people’s interoceptive ability, perception of emotions of others as well as body image. Therefore, one objective of this study was to thoroughly explore how interoceptive accuracy and interoceptive awareness relate to accuracy in emotion recognition as well as the level of perceived emotional intensity. Another objective was to examine the association between interoceptive awareness and body appreciation. A sample of 99 participants completed a facial emotion recognition task measuring accuracy and intensity ratings of five facial expressions – anger, fear, happiness, sadness, or a neutral expression. Additionally, self-reported measures were used to assess the participants’ interoception and body appreciation. As expected, we found a positive relationship between interoceptive awareness and perceived emotional intensity. However, we could not find a significant positive relationship between the other explored variables. One use of a potential link between interoception and emotion recognition as well as body appreciation could be to assist treatment of clinical conditions. Therefore, we suggest further exploration of this link.Show less

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If I know myself, do I know you? Exploring the link between interoception, body appreciation and emotion recognition