The connection between interoceptive sensitivity and anxiety : the study of temperament’s role in explaining the connection

Abstract

Interoception has important role in many psychological phenomena such as emotional experience. Previous studies suggest that interoception provides a link between biological and psychological processes in many clinically relevant disorders and it has been most frequently connected to various forms of anxiety. Individuals with anxiety tend to be more sensitive to interoception; anxiety is characterized by somatic symptoms and increased attention to autonomic bodily processes supporting a relationship between these variables.

Brain research has brought new evidence on individual differences in brain areas´ and their functioning in explaining differences in interoceptive sensitivity. There are some studies suggesting that inherent temperament traits are also linked to same brain areas as interoception. This suggests a link between interoception and individual differences in emotional reactivity and temperament traits, forming a possible prerequisite for anxiety in some individuals.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the connection between interoceptive sensitivity and anxiety and how temperamental traits, especially negative emotionality, are explaining the connection between the variables. It was hypothesized that there is a positive connection between interoceptive sensitivity and experience of anxiety and that temperament traits related to negative emotionality are connected to both interoceptive sensitivity and anxiety, mediating their connection. Interoceptive sensitivity was measured by heart beat detection task, the most widely applied in interception studies. Anxiety and individual temperament traits were measured by self-report questionnaires.

Results of this study show no direct link between interoceptive sensitivity and anxiety, suggesting that high-anxiety individuals are not more sensitive to their interoceptive information than others. Also, negative emotionality was connected only to anxiety, not interoceptive sensitivity. Instead of negative emotionality, temperamental inhibition and low attentional control seems to explain both interoceptive sensitivity and anxiety. These results are in line with the current understanding that many mental health disorders including anxiety disorders have a connection to misrepresented interoceptive signals or failure to perceive changes in interoceptive states. Temperamental traits might be a potential background factor having an effect to this bias.