Abstract

SomaSync explores how real-time haptic heartbeat feedback can enhance interoceptive awareness and mental well-being by fostering a deeper connection to internal bodily signals. Building on prior research that found limited short-term effects of heartbeat feedback on emotion regulation, this study investigates whether prolonged exposure can strengthen trust in interoceptive feedback systems and promote emotional self-regulation. By leveraging wearable technology in real-world settings, SomaSync examines how continuous heartbeat feedback influences users' emotional awareness, psychological well-being, and self-perception over time.

Through a two-week in-the-wild study, participants will experience two conditions—real-time and offset heartbeat feedback—delivered via a Bangle.js smartwatch. Daily reflections, interoceptive accuracy tasks, and mental health assessments will uncover how these conditions affect anxiety, depression, and emotional processing. The study further explores whether individual traits, such as alexithymia and interoceptive sensitivity, predict differential responses to feedback and how usability, comfort, and perceived intrusiveness evolve with prolonged wearable use.

SomaSync advances the understanding of how wearable haptic feedback can support emotional resilience by enhancing bodily self-awareness. By investigating the intersection of technology, interoception, and mental well-being, this work informs future designs of user-centered, ethically aligned interventions for emotional self-regulation.