Eszter Ferentzi

Eszter Ferentzi is an Associate Professor at Eötvös Loránd University, affiliated with the Institute of Health Development and Sports Sciences within the Faculty of Education and Psychology. Her research focuses on interoception—the perception of internal bodily signals—and its relationship with psychological functions such as emotion regulation, stress, and body awareness. She leads the György Ádám Psychophysiological Research Group, investigating topics like the placebo/nocebo phenomenon, yoga’s effects on interoception, and the psychophysiological basis of bodily sensations.

Educationally, Ferentzi holds a PhD in psychology and philosophy, with her doctoral work centered on interoception. Her current research critically evaluates interoceptive measurement tools (e.g., questionnaires and perceptual tests) and explores how bodily signals influence psychological states. She has authored numerous articles on interoceptive accuracy, proprioception, and experimental studies on stress and perception.

Her work bridges theoretical and empirical approaches, emphasizing the validation of interoceptive measures and their clinical implications. Key areas include cardiac and gastric interoception, the role of expectation in perception, and the longitudinal effects of yoga training on bodily awareness. Ferentzi’s research also examines pandemic-related behaviors, such as health anxiety and protective measures during the COVID-19 crisis.

She actively contributes to academic discourse through her publications in journals like *Trends in Cognitive Sciences* and *Frontiers in Human Neuroscience*. Her lab’s studies often involve experimental designs, longitudinal investigations, and collaborative projects exploring embodied cognition and health behaviors.