Brief Description
The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2) is a refined version of the original MAIA developed to assess various aspects of interoceptive awareness—our capacity to sense and interpret internal bodily states. It is a 37-item self-report questionnaire that evaluates interoceptive awareness across eight distinct domains (see table below). The MAIA-2 measures both adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of interoceptive awareness. Items were designed to capture how individuals perceive, react to, and regulate their bodily experiences, often relevant in the context of mindfulness, somatic therapies, chronic pain management, and trauma recovery.
Assessment Administration Type
Self-report
Number of questions
37
Age Range for Administration
18+
Recommended Frequency of Administration
One-time screener or periodic reassessment (e.g., pre/post intervention, quarterly, or annually in clinical or research settings)
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
The MAIA-2 consists of 8 subscales measuring different aspects of interoceptive awareness:
Subscale | Description | Items |
Noticing | Awareness of body sensations | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Not-Distracting | Tendency to stay present with bodily sensations | 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
Not-Worrying | Neutrality toward body sensations without distress | 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 |
Attention Regulation | Ability to control focus on internal sensations | 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 |
Emotional Awareness | Connection between bodily sensations and emotions | 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 |
Self-Regulation | Using interoception to manage emotions | 28, 29, 30, 31 |
Body Listening | Active engagement with body signals | 32, 33, 34 |
Trusting | Confidence in the body’s internal cues | 35, 36, 37 |
Each item is rated on a 6-point Likert scale (0 = "Never," 5 = "Always"). Items on the Not-Distracting and Not-Worrying subscale are reverse-scored. The subscale scores are computed by summing the items on each scale and dividing by the number of items (i.e., computing the average for items within the subscale).
There is no clinically meaningful total score; only the subscale scores should be interpreted. Higher scores indicate greater interoceptive awareness, while lower scores suggest difficulties in bodily perception and regulation. There are no universal clinical cut-off scores, but scores are used comparatively in research and clinical assessments.
Blueprint Adjustments
N/A
Clinical Considerations
Estimated time to completion: 10-15 minutes
Please note that this 37 item measure may be lengthy for some respondents, so consider fatigue in clinical settings.
The MAIA-2 is especially useful for clients engaged in mindfulness or somatic therapies.
There is evidence of the relationship between MAIA-2 subscales and facets of disordered eating among transgender and gender diverse individuals. Specifically MAIA-2 subscales were positively correlated with body appreciation and body satisfaction and negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress.
The MAIA-2 is not a diagnostic tool, and should be used alongside clinical judgment and other assessments for a comprehensive evaluation.
Citation
Relevant Articles + Further Resources
We're here for you!
Do you have follow-up questions? We're here and happy to help!
Send us an email at help@blueprint-health.com or use the help messenger in the lower right corner to speak with our Support team. 💪🏼