VisceroHaptics: Investigating the Effects of Gut-based Audio-Haptic Feedback on Gastric Feelings and Gastric Interoceptive Behavior

Paper Title

VisceroHaptics: Investigating the Effects of Gut-based Audio-Haptic Feedback on Gastric Feelings and Gastric Interoceptive Behavior

Publication Info

• Topic area: Non-invasive modulation of gastric interoception using audio-haptic feedback.
• Keywords: gastric interoception, gut-brain axis, audio-haptic feedback, visceral sensations, human-computer interaction, behavioral modulation, water load test, hunger perception, satiety, interoceptive manipulation.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Existing methods to modulate gastric interoception are invasive, limited to medical settings, and lack applicability in interactive technologies. Non-invasive approaches remain unexplored.
• Significance: Gastric interoception influences eating behavior, emotions, and health, making its modulation valuable for applications in healthcare, HCI, and behavioral nudging.
• Motivation and related work: Prior research demonstrated that gut sounds presented as haptic feedback resemble realistic gastric sensations but did not explore their immediate effects on feelings or behavioral changes. This paper addresses gaps in understanding how gut-based audio-haptic feedback influences feelings, hunger/satiety perception, and gastric interoceptive behavior.

Solution

• Proposed approach: Gut-based audio-haptic feedback system that delivers bowel sound patterns through tactile and auditory channels to modulate gastric interoception non-invasively.
• Novelty:
  1. Empirical evidence showing gut-based audio-haptic feedback induces gastric feelings (e.g., hunger, fullness, stomach upset).
  2. Demonstration that such feedback alters perceived hunger and satiety levels.
  3. First evidence that non-invasive audio-haptic feedback influences gastric interoceptive behavior, quantified through water consumption.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Stimuli creation: Recorded bowel sounds during Water Load Test-II (WLT-II), segmented into four categories (Single Burst, Multiple Burst, Continuous Random Sound, Long Harmonic Sound).
  • Experiments: Conducted three studies with 55 participants to investigate effects on feelings (Study 1), hunger/satiety perception (Study 2), and gastric interoceptive behavior (Study 3).
  • Evaluation: Used self-reports, hunger/satiety rating scales, and water consumption metrics during WLT-II.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Study 1: Audio-haptic feedback induced hunger (55.6%), fullness (20.1%), and stomach upset (14.8%). Longer sound durations correlated with stronger hunger sensations.
  • Study 2: CRS stimulus significantly increased hunger ratings compared to SB (p=0.015). Within-category variations were observed in hunger induction intensity.
  • Study 3: SB stimulus increased water consumption during the satiation phase (p=0.049) and altered satiation-to-total ratio (p=0.044), demonstrating behavioral modulation.
• Advantage over baselines: Non-invasive feedback influenced gastric interoceptive behavior, with SB stimuli increasing water intake compared to baseline conditions.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Study 1: 18 participants reported feelings during exposure to four haptic stimuli categories.
  • Study 2: 16 participants rated hunger/satiety levels using a bipolar scale (-7 to 7).
  • Study 3: 21 participants completed WLT-II across three sessions (baseline, CRS, SB), measuring water consumption and affective states.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Small stimulus pool and subjective segmentation of bowel sounds.
  • Limited generalizability due to small sample sizes and subjective nature of gastric feelings.
  • Counterintuitive findings (e.g., least hunger-inducing stimulus increased water intake) require further investigation.

Summary

This paper introduces a novel non-invasive approach to modulate gastric interoception using gut-based audio-haptic feedback. Empirical studies demonstrated that such feedback induces visceral feelings, alters hunger/satiety perception, and influences water consumption behavior. Findings highlight the potential for designing interactive systems that leverage gastric sensations for applications in health, well-being, and behavioral nudging. Future work should expand stimulus diversity, investigate mechanisms underlying counterintuitive results, and explore personalized feedback designs.