InteroMap: A Novel Tool to Map the Phenomenology of Bodily Sensations

Interoception, the processing of internal bodily states, contributes to human behaviour through multiple cognitive and affective processes, including emotional regulation and decision-making. It also constitutes a key variable in a range of psychopathological processes. Yet, its core phenomenological dimension, namely how bodily sensations are subjectively experienced, remains understudied. Bodily mapping offers a promising method to address this gap, but existing tools do not allow for a fine-grained assessment of the various dimensions of bodily sensations. Here, we introduce InteroMap, an open-access, open-source tool that enables rigorous and comprehensive assessment of self-reported interoceptive phenomenology. InteroMap comprises (1) a precise drawing interface that combines valence and intensity ratings, (2) front and back views of the body, (3) clear anatomical landmarks for accurate localization, (4) a correction feature, and (5) a post-processing platform to support data visualization and standardization. In a preregistered study (N = 654), we compared InteroMap with the tool most used to assess bodily sensations: emBODY. Our findings show that InteroMap has strong construct validity and outperformed emBODY on convergent, concurrent, and response process validity, as well as on several user experience metrics. InteroMap therefore represents significant progress in the study of interoceptive phenomenology. This tool opens new avenues for testing theoretical models that posit a central role for bodily sensations in healthy and pathological psychological functioning.