Background
The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) is a psychological self-report instrument designed to assess social camouflaging behaviors commonly associated with autism spectrum traits. Camouflaging refers to conscious or unconscious strategies used to hide, mask, compensate for, or adapt autistic characteristics during social interactions.
The CAT-Q evaluates behavioral and cognitive strategies individuals may use to appear socially typical, including imitation of social behaviors, rehearsed communication patterns, monitoring facial expressions, suppressing autistic traits, and compensatory social performance.
Research has shown that autistic camouflaging may contribute to emotional exhaustion, anxiety, identity confusion, delayed diagnosis, and social stress, particularly among autistic adults who develop adaptive masking strategies over time.
The CAT-Q measures several dimensions of camouflaging behavior, including:
- Compensation
- Masking
- Assimilation
- Social Monitoring
- Behavioral Adaptation
- Social Performance Strategies
The CAT-Q is commonly used in autism research, neurodiversity studies, psychological screening, and self-exploration contexts. It is not intended to provide a formal autism diagnosis and results should be interpreted alongside broader clinical and developmental assessment.
Procedure
You will be presented with a series of statements related to social interaction styles, masking behaviors, communication habits, and social coping strategies. Please respond honestly based on your typical experiences in social situations.
Participation
This assessment is intended for adolescents and adults interested in understanding social camouflaging behaviors, masking tendencies, and autistic trait compensation strategies. Participation is voluntary and responses should reflect genuine experiences.
Scoring & Interpretation
The CAT-Q is scored using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 7 = Strongly Agree). Total raw scores are calculated by summing all responses, with reverse-scored items (marked with mapping key 1) inverted prior to calculation (e.g., 1 becomes 7, 2 becomes 6, etc.). The total score ranges from 25 to 175, with higher scores representing a greater reliance on social camouflaging, masking, and compensation. Scores are also distributed across six distinct sub-scales (Compensation, Masking, Assimilation, Social Monitoring, Social Dependence, and Social Avoidance), which are standardized to a 0–100 scale for comparative profiling.
Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) Questionnaire
Below is the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q), a digitally adapted 25- items self-assessment questionnaire. Read each of the following 25 statements carefully. For each statement, choose the response option from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree" that best reflects your personal experiences, thoughts, and behaviors in social situations over recent months. Respond as honestly as possible; there are no right or wrong answers.
Sources
- L A Hull , et al. Development and Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6
Version History
v1.1 – Added dimensional scoring framework.
v1.2 – Improved reverse-scoring support.
v1.3 – Enhanced behavioral interpretation system.
v1.4 – Added responsive layout and accessibility improvements.