Somatosensory false feedback biases emotional ratings through interoceptive embodiment
Abstract Mismatches between perceived and veridical physiological signals during false feedback (FFB) can bias emotional judgements. Paradigms using auditory FFB suggest perceived changes in heart rate (HR) increase ratings of emotional intensity irrespective of feedback type (increased or decreased...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94971-6 |
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| author | Joel Patchitt Sarah Garfinkel William H. Strawson Mark Miller Manos Tsakiris Andy Clark Hugo D. Critchley |
| author_facet | Joel Patchitt Sarah Garfinkel William H. Strawson Mark Miller Manos Tsakiris Andy Clark Hugo D. Critchley |
| author_sort | Joel Patchitt |
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| description | Abstract Mismatches between perceived and veridical physiological signals during false feedback (FFB) can bias emotional judgements. Paradigms using auditory FFB suggest perceived changes in heart rate (HR) increase ratings of emotional intensity irrespective of feedback type (increased or decreased HR), implicating right anterior insula as a mismatch comparator between exteroceptive and interoceptive information. However, few paradigms have examined effects of somatosensory FFB. Participants rated the emotional intensity of randomized facial expressions while they received 20 s blocks of pulsatile somatosensory stimulation at rates higher than HR, lower than HR, equivalent to HR, or no stimulation during a functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging scan. FFB exerted a bidirectional effect on reported intensity ratings of the emotional faces, increasing over the course of each 20 s stimulation block. Neuroimaging showed FFB engaging regions indicative of affective touch processing, embodiment, and reflex suppression. Contrasting higher vs. lower HR FFB revealed engagement of right insula and centres supporting socio-emotional processing. Results indicate that exposure to pulsatile somatosensory stimulation can influence emotional judgements though its progressive embodiment as a perceived interoceptive arousal state, biasing how affective salience is ascribed to external stimuli. Results are consistent with multimodal integration of priors and prediction-error signalling in shaping perceptual judgments. |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-3a1da75e8d1a451aa0546a6982550a1a2025-08-20T02:08:08ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-04-0115111710.1038/s41598-025-94971-6Somatosensory false feedback biases emotional ratings through interoceptive embodimentJoel Patchitt0Sarah Garfinkel1William H. Strawson2Mark Miller3Manos Tsakiris4Andy Clark5Hugo D. Critchley6Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science, University of SussexInstitute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of SussexMonash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, Monash UniversityDepartment of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of LondonSchool of Media, Arts and Humanities, University of SussexSussex Centre for Consciousness Science, University of SussexAbstract Mismatches between perceived and veridical physiological signals during false feedback (FFB) can bias emotional judgements. Paradigms using auditory FFB suggest perceived changes in heart rate (HR) increase ratings of emotional intensity irrespective of feedback type (increased or decreased HR), implicating right anterior insula as a mismatch comparator between exteroceptive and interoceptive information. However, few paradigms have examined effects of somatosensory FFB. Participants rated the emotional intensity of randomized facial expressions while they received 20 s blocks of pulsatile somatosensory stimulation at rates higher than HR, lower than HR, equivalent to HR, or no stimulation during a functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging scan. FFB exerted a bidirectional effect on reported intensity ratings of the emotional faces, increasing over the course of each 20 s stimulation block. Neuroimaging showed FFB engaging regions indicative of affective touch processing, embodiment, and reflex suppression. Contrasting higher vs. lower HR FFB revealed engagement of right insula and centres supporting socio-emotional processing. Results indicate that exposure to pulsatile somatosensory stimulation can influence emotional judgements though its progressive embodiment as a perceived interoceptive arousal state, biasing how affective salience is ascribed to external stimuli. Results are consistent with multimodal integration of priors and prediction-error signalling in shaping perceptual judgments.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94971-6InteroceptionFalse physiological feedbackInsulaEmotion recognitionPerceptionPredictive coding |
| spellingShingle | Joel Patchitt Sarah Garfinkel William H. Strawson Mark Miller Manos Tsakiris Andy Clark Hugo D. Critchley Somatosensory false feedback biases emotional ratings through interoceptive embodiment Scientific Reports Interoception False physiological feedback Insula Emotion recognition Perception Predictive coding |
| title | Somatosensory false feedback biases emotional ratings through interoceptive embodiment |
| title_full | Somatosensory false feedback biases emotional ratings through interoceptive embodiment |
| title_fullStr | Somatosensory false feedback biases emotional ratings through interoceptive embodiment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Somatosensory false feedback biases emotional ratings through interoceptive embodiment |
| title_short | Somatosensory false feedback biases emotional ratings through interoceptive embodiment |
| title_sort | somatosensory false feedback biases emotional ratings through interoceptive embodiment |
| topic | Interoception False physiological feedback Insula Emotion recognition Perception Predictive coding |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94971-6 |
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