Abstract
The multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness (MAIA) is an instrument designed to assess interoceptive awareness. The aim of this study was to adapt the original MAIA scale to Spanish and to analyze its psychometric properties in a Chilean population. The MAIA was administered to 470 adults, aged 18–70 years, 76.6% women and 23.4% men, residents of the provinces of Valparaíso and Concepción, Chile. Exploratory factor analysis reduced the scale from 32 to 30 items. Confirmatory factor analysis supports a structure of eight interrelated factors (Noticing, Not-Distracting, Not-Worrying, Attention Regulation, Emotional Awareness, Self- Regulation, Body Listening, and Trusting), similar to the original scale (χ2(371) = 659.78, p = 0.0001; CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.056 and SRMR = 0.059). The Spanish version showed appropriate indicators of construct validity and reliability, with a Cronbach’s α of 0.90 for the total scale, and values between 0.40 and 0.86 for the different subscales. Similar to previous studies, low reliability was observed in two of the eight scales (Not-Distracting and Not-Worrying), thus further revision of these subscales is suggested. The Spanish version of MAIA proved to be a valid and reliable tool to investigate interoceptive awareness in the Chilean population.
Highlights
This article presents the adaptation into the Spanish language of the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness (MAIA) self-report instrument developed by Mehling et al (2012), and the evaluation of its psychometric properties in the Chilean population
The scale adapted in the present study aims to contribute in distinguishing these different modes of interoceptive awareness to serve as a tool for experimental interoception research, and for assessment of mind–body therapies
An eight-factor model was built from the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), similar to the original scale
Summary
This article presents the adaptation into the Spanish language of the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness (MAIA) self-report instrument developed by Mehling et al (2012), and the evaluation of its psychometric properties in the Chilean population.Interoceptive awareness relates to the conscious perception of our internal state. Introduced by Sherrington (1906), the term interoception has been linked to visceral sensitivity, meaning the ability to detect the signals coming from our “internal milieu.”. This term has been redefined as the sense of the physiological condition of the body and the viscera (Craig, 2002). This redefinition expands the notion of interoception, placing it as the afferent pathway of the autonomic nervous system. The link between interoception and interoceptive awareness opens the door to the potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between organic function of our body and our mental and emotional experience
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