Interoception: A Comprehensive Guide

This book provides a comprehensive overview and critical evaluation of the emerging and exciting topic of interoception – the perception of the body’s internal state. Interest in the topic has been driven by the observation that interoception appears to affect fundamental psychological processes and numerous physical and mental health conditions. In this book, the major authorities in the field present a discussion of the history of interoception, the neural basis of interoception, and the measurement and models of interoception conceptualization. This is followed by a consideration of the many domains that interoception appears to impact (including social and cognitive abilities and mental and physical health conditions) and differences across demographic groups. Interoception: A Comprehensive Guide also explores real world applications, including training for interoception, the modulation of interoception and the impact of such interventions, and future research directions.

About the Author

Dr. Rebecca Brewer is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. She completed her undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, followed by an MSc in Developmental Sciences at Birkbeck College, London. She earned her PhD in Psychology from King’s College London, supervised by Professor Geoff Bird, Professor Francesca Happé, and Dr. Richard Cook. Dr. Brewer was awarded both the Elsevier Outstanding Thesis Prize and the 2017 Frith Prize from the Experimental Psychology Society, for her exceptional PhD thesis on the role of alexithymia in socio-affective processing in multiple psychological conditions.

Dr. Brewer's research focuses on social, emotional, and interoceptive abilities in both clinical and non-clinical populations. Her work investigates how individuals perceive and interpret internal bodily signals, and how these perceptions are associated with social understanding, emotional experiences, and behaviour. This research is particularly relevant for understanding conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and eating disorders.

As the Principal Investigator of the Insulab research group at Royal Holloway, Dr. Brewer leads projects examining the role of interoception in mental health and social perception. Her contributions to the field have been recognized through various grants, including a New Investigator Research Grant from the Medical Research Council to study the recognition of others’ interoceptive states in autistic individuals and those with eating disorders. Dr. Brewer is a strong proponent of participatory research, actively including members of the autistic community and those affected by eating disorders as advisors or collaborators in her research studies. She is also enthusiastic about sharing cutting edge research findings with practicing clinicians and the general public, for example through workshops, general audience publications (e.g. The Conversation, Spectrum News, Scientific American, Frontiers for Young Minds, The Boston Globe, BBC Futures, The Guardian, Yahoo News, and Wall Street Journal), podcasts (e.g. BBC Newscast and MindStew), and radio interviews (e.g. BBC News and Radio Health Journal).

Dr. Jennifer Murphy is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Surrey. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at City University London, followed by an MSc in Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry, and a PhD in Psychology from King’s College London, under the supervision of Professor Geoff Bird and Dr. Caroline Catmur. Dr. Murphy has received numerous awards for her work, including the Experimental Psychology Society Frith Prize, the British Psychological Society Prize for Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, the Elsevier Outstanding Thesis Prize, and the Gottesman-Shields Award for outstanding doctoral work. Internationally, she has been recognized with the Association for Psychological Science Rising Star Award and the European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Young Investigator Award.

Dr. Murphy's research explores the measurement of interoception and its relationship with well-being and social perception. She has made significant theoretical and methodological contributions, including the development of new tools for interoceptive assessment and recognizing the impact of attentional processes on interoception. Her research on sex differences in interoception has established a new area of enquiry focused on interoception’s role in women’s health and her current work in this area is supported by a prestigious New Investigator Grant from the Medical Research Council. Beyond academia, Dr. Murphy actively increases public awareness of interoception through various platforms and media, including The Conversation, Frontiers for Young Minds, Spectrum News, Scientific American, and BBC Futures.

Together, Dr. Brewer and Dr. Murphy bring their extensive expertise to curate and edit this comprehensive volume, ensuring a rich exploration of contemporary views on interoception.