Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q)

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

Each item is scored using a 7-point Likert scale:

1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Somewhat Disagree
4 = Neither Agree nor Disagree
5 = Somewhat Agree
6 = Agree
7 = Strongly Agree

Higher scores may indicate stronger tendencies toward autistic camouflaging behaviors, social masking, compensation strategies, and social adaptation efforts.

Some items are reverse scored to improve response balance and scoring accuracy.

Dimensional analysis may include:
- Compensation
- Masking
- Assimilation
- Social Monitoring
- Social Compensation
- Behavioral Camouflaging

The final report provides a percentage-based overview of social camouflaging tendencies and related behavioral patterns.

Start Assessment

Translations

This assessment is available in English only.

Changelogs

v1.0 – Initial CAT-Q module release.
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.

Sources

1. L A Hull , et al. Development and Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6