74 Human Factors of a Global Society
In describing the function of the insula, emotional and homeostatic regulations are usually
emphasized. Critchley et al. (2004) pointed out that the greater right anterior insular gray matter
volume, the more accurate the subjective sense of the inner body, proving that the right anterior
insula mediates interoceptive awareness. In the study by Critchley et al., activity in right anterior
insula correlated with interoceptive accuracy and with measures of subjective negative emotional
experience. Researchers underlined the role of this region in explicit awareness of bodily processes
and conscious awareness as subjective feeling states.
Williamson et al. (2001) conducted an experiment whose results indicate ...