Enhanced interoceptive awareness during anticipation of public speaking is associated with fear of negative evaluation

Abstract

Interoceptive awareness (IA)—the ability to detect internal body signals—has been linked to various aspects of emotional processing. However, it has been examined mostly as a trait variable, with few studies also investigating state dependent fluctuations in IA. Based on the known positive correlation between IA and emotional reactivity, negative affectivity, and trait anxiety, the current study examined whether IA, as indexed by heartbeat detection accuracy, would change during an anxiety-provoking situation. Participants in the experimental condition, in which they anticipated giving a speech in front of a small audience, displayed significant IA increases from baseline to anticipation. Enhancement in IA was positively correlated with fear of negative evaluation. Implications of the results are discussed in relation to the role of trait and state IA in emotional experience.

Keywords:

• Interoception
• Public speaking
• Social anxiety

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the European Platform for Life Sciences, Mind Sciences and Humanities, Volkswagen Foundation Research Grant [II/85 064] to MT.