Training interoceptive awareness with real-time haptic vs. visual heartbeat feedback

Abstract

The perception of signals from within the body, known as interoception, is increasingly recognized as a prerequisite for physical and mental health. The study is dedicated to the development of effective technological approaches for enhancing interoceptive awareness. We provide evidence of the effectiveness and practical feasibility of a novel real-time haptic heartbeat supplementation technology combining principles of biofeedback and sensory enhancement. In a randomized controlled study, we applied the developed naturalistic haptic feedback on a group of 30 adults, while another group of 30 adults received more traditional real-time visual heartbeat feedback. A single session of haptic, but not visual heartbeat feedback resulted in increased interoceptive accuracy and confidence, as measured by the heart rate discrimination task, and in a shift of attention towards the body. Participants rated the developed technology as more helpful and pleasant than the visual feedback, thus indicating high user satisfaction. The study highlights the importance of matching sensory characteristics of the feedback to the natural bodily prototype. Our work suggests that real-time haptic feedback might be a superior approach to strengthen mind-body interaction in interventions for physical and mental health.