Fiene, Lisa (2013) Investigating Interoception and Body Awareness in Adults with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have unusual sensory processing abilities, with the new DSM-V incorporating sensory abnormalities as a sub-criterion for diagnosis. To date, however, research has focused on investigating external stimuli, including sights, sounds, tastes and smells. This study aimed to investigate the current gap in the literature with regard to how adults with and without ASD interpret the interoceptive sense, which includes thirst, hunger, tiredness and the prediction of onset of illness. Adults with a diagnosed ASD (n = 70; 35 males, 35 females; mean age 36.86 years) were compared to a control group (n = 227; 52 males, 174 females, 1 unspecified; mean age 31.44 years) in their self-reported perceptions of body awareness utilising the Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ) and thirst awareness using the Thirst Awareness Scale (TAS). Consistent with predictions, those in the ASD group reported a statistically significant lower body and thirst awareness compared to the control group, and this was a large effect (BAQ; Mdiff = -23.82, p < .001, d = -1.28, 95% CI [-17.97, -29.68]; TAS; Mdiff = -3.90, p < .001, d = -1.01, 95% CI [-2.69, -5.11]). These are clinically important findings, as difficulties with sensing internal bodily states could theoretically impact on many aspects of a person’s life, including physical and mental health, social interactions and selfawareness. These findings support developing interoceptive and self-awareness programmes for those with ASD, which may increase coping skills and provide better outcomes.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology, Counselling and Community (1 Jul 2013 - 31 Dec 2014) |
| Supervisors: | Charlotte Brownlow |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Oct 2025 00:53 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Oct 2025 00:53 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, interoception, body awareness, ASD, thirst |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52316 |
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