From Inner Sensations to Creative Innovations: Uncovering the Links Between Interoceptive Sensitivity and Creative Traits

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between interoceptive sensitivity (IS) – the subjective ability to perceive internal bodily sensations – and creative traits, framed within the dual-process theory, which highlights the interplay between associative and analytical thinking. While interoception is known to influence cognitive and emotional processes, its impact on creativity remains largely unexplored. Individual differences in creative traits, such as idea generation, evaluation, and implementation, mode shifting, and inspiration, may be shaped by how individuals perceive and process their internal bodily states. Participants completed questionnaires measuring IS, alexithymia, distractibility, and various creative traits, such as mode shifting, inspiration, ideation, evaluation, and idea implementation. Results showed that IS was positively correlated with all measured creative traits, with the strongest relationships found between IS and both inspiration and idea implementation. Alexithymia, which was negatively correlated with IS, also showed negative correlations with most creative traits. Additionally, distractibility was negatively associated with both IS and most creative traits and was found to partially mediate the relationship between IS and creative traits. These findings suggest a complex interplay between bodily awareness, emotional processing, and attentional control in shaping creativity, revealing a hitherto unknown connection between interoception and creativity.