Dissociations between interoceptive accuracy and attention: evidence from the interoceptive attention scale

Previous evidence suggests a dissociation between self-reported interoceptive accuracy and self-reported interoceptive attention. However, it remains unclear whether such dissociations are driven by differences in the interoceptive signals rated across these questionnaires, or a genuine dissociation between different facets of interoception (accuracy and attention). Across three studies, we examined the relationship between existing measures of self-reported interoceptive accuracy and self-reported interoceptive attention by developing a novel measure of self-reported interoceptive attention – the Interoceptive Attention Scale (IATS) – designed to match the interoceptive sensations included in an existing questionnaire measure of interoceptive accuracy. In addition, we examined whether the interpretation of questionnaire measures of interoception altered associations across measures. Results support the proposed distinction between self-reported interoceptive attention and self-reported interoceptive accuracy and highlight the importance of considering the interpretation of questionnaire measures of interoception.