在计算机科学中，内省是指计算机进程在运行时（Run time）检查对象（Object）类型的一种能力，通常也可以称作运行时类型检查。一些编程语言如C++、Java、Ruby、PHP、Objective-C、Perl等等具有这种特性。

不应该将内省和反射混淆。相对于内省，反射更进一步，是指计算机进程在运行时（Run time）可以访问、检测和修改它本身状态或行为的一种能力。一些编程语言比如Java具有反射特性，而C++不具有反射特性只具有内省特性。

In computing, type introspection is the ability of a program to examine the type or properties of an object at runtime. Some programming languages possess this capability.

Introspection should not be confused with reflection, which goes a step further and is the ability for a program to manipulate the values, meta-data, properties and/or functions of an object at runtime. Some programming languages - e.g. Java, Python and Go - also possess that capability.