What makes sense in our body? Personality and sensory correlates of body awareness and somatosensory amplification

The associations of body awareness (BA) and somatosensory amplification (SSA) with the Big Five personality factors and sensory modalities were investigated in a cross-sectional study. It was expected that both constructs would be related to introversion; and that SSA as opposed to BA would be connected with emotional lability. Perception of pain and bitter taste were expected to be associated with both BA and SSA; whereas heartbeat perception and balancing ability were not. A sample of university students (n = 212) filled out questionnaires assessing BA (Body Awareness Questionnaire, BAQ), SSA (Somatosensory Amplification Scale, SSAS) and the Big Five (Big Five Inventory, BFI), and a subsample pf participants (n = 118) completed the sensory measurements (heart rate detection, balance, perception of pain and bitterness). SSA showed a weak connection with emotional lability and introversion, while BA was associated with openness and conscientiousness. Furthermore, SSA was related to the perception of pain and bitter taste, whereas BA was not related to any interoceptive modality. No correlations among the perceptions of different sensory modalities were found. According to these findings BA and SSA are related but not identical constructs; while interoceptive ability cannot be generalized across modalities.