TY - JOUR

T1 - More of myself: Manipulating interoceptive awareness by heightened attention to bodily and narrative aspects of the self

AU - Ainley, Vivien

AU - Maister, Lara

AU - Brokfeld, Jana

AU - Farmer, Harry

AU - Tsakiris, Manos

N1 - Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2013/12

Y1 - 2013/12

N2 - Psychology distinguishes between a bodily and a narrative self. Within neuroscience, models of the bodily self are based on exteroceptive sensorimotor processes or on the integration of interoceptive sensations. Recent research has revealed interactions between interoceptive and exteroceptive processing of self-related information, for example that mirror self-observation can improve interoceptive awareness. Using heartbeat perception, we measured the effect on interoceptive awareness of two experimental manipulations, designed to heighten attention to bodily and narrative aspects of the self. Participants gazed at a photograph of their own face or at self-relevant words. In both experimental conditions interoceptive awareness was significantly increased, compared to baseline. Results show that attention to narrative aspects of self, previously regarded as relying on higher-order processes, has an effect similar to self-face stimuli in improving interoceptive awareness. Our findings extend the previously observed interaction between the bodily self and interoception to more abstract amodal representations of the self.

AB - Psychology distinguishes between a bodily and a narrative self. Within neuroscience, models of the bodily self are based on exteroceptive sensorimotor processes or on the integration of interoceptive sensations. Recent research has revealed interactions between interoceptive and exteroceptive processing of self-related information, for example that mirror self-observation can improve interoceptive awareness. Using heartbeat perception, we measured the effect on interoceptive awareness of two experimental manipulations, designed to heighten attention to bodily and narrative aspects of the self. Participants gazed at a photograph of their own face or at self-relevant words. In both experimental conditions interoceptive awareness was significantly increased, compared to baseline. Results show that attention to narrative aspects of self, previously regarded as relying on higher-order processes, has an effect similar to self-face stimuli in improving interoceptive awareness. Our findings extend the previously observed interaction between the bodily self and interoception to more abstract amodal representations of the self.

KW - Attention/physiology

KW - Awareness/physiology

KW - Body Image

KW - Female

KW - Heart Rate

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Narration

KW - Perception/physiology

KW - Self Concept

KW - Sensation/physiology

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1016/j.concog.2013.08.004

DO - 10.1016/j.concog.2013.08.004

M3 - Article

C2 - 24021852

VL - 22

SP - 1231

EP - 1238

JO - Consciousness and Cognition

JF - Consciousness and Cognition

SN - 1053-8100

IS - 4

ER -