Bodily Sensations Associated with Emotions: An Exploratory Self-Report Study
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Objective: This study aimed to explore self-reported bodily sensations associated with positive and negative emotions and discrete emotional categories.
Methods and Materials: An exploratory self-report study with quantitative analysis was conducted among 45 adults aged 18–35 years without neurological or psychological disorders. Participants were recruited online and interviewed using an autobiographical recall method. They were asked to recall bodily sensations experienced during ten emotions, including joy, tenderness, surprise, sadness, anger, contempt, disgust, fear, shame, and guilt, and to identify emotions associated with sensations in specific body parts. Interview responses were transcribed into emotion–body pairs, yielding 881 entries. Associations between discrete emotions, emotional valence, and body parts were examined using chi-square tests, adjusted residuals, and Cramer’s V.
Findings: A significant association was found between discrete emotions and body parts, χ²(45, N = 655) = 205.56, p < .001, V = .251. Fear was associated with sensations in the stomach, heart, and limbs; sadness with the throat and chest; joy with the chest and whole body; anger with the jaw; shame with the face; and guilt with the throat. Emotional valence was also significantly associated with body sensations, χ²(14, N = 881) = 53.65, p < .001, V = .247. Positive emotions were more often linked to the chest, limbs, and whole-body activation, whereas negative emotions were more often linked to the jaw, throat, and ears.
Conclusion: Self-reported bodily sensations showed distinct patterns across emotional categories and valence. These findings may inform future psychophysiological research on peripheral markers of emotion.
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