Correlation Between Interoception and Emotion Regulation (2023)

Undergraduate: Kellyn Schroeder

Faculty Advisor: Keely Muscatell
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience

---

Better understanding the interplay between interoceptive ability and emotion regulation can have implications in the treatment of mood disorders and developmental disorders, such as depression, eating disorders, and autism spectrum disorder. The purpose of this study is to provide evidence that concludes whether interoception is correlated with the two sub-facets of emotion regulation, cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. The study also provides evidence as to whether those two emotion regulation facets need to be analyzed separately. Previous research has shown that interoceptive ability is positively correlated with cognitive reappraisal, but literature is mixed regarding the relationship between interoception and expressive suppression. Bivariate correlational analyses were performed using data collected from 78 healthy adults that took the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Interoception Sensory Questionnaire. Results show that interoceptive disability is correlated with a lower usage of cognitive reappraisal and a higher usage of expressive suppression. Data also suggest that the two sub-facets should remain separate when analyzing emotion regulation data, since they were oppositely correlated. Research regarding the interplay between interoception and emotion regulation can lead to more efficient therapy techniques for dysregulations in these systems.

Link to Poster