Validation of the camouflaging autistic traits questionnaire short form (CATQ-SF)

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

About the autistic author marker

Metadata sources used for this reference

OpenAlex Crossref OpenCitations
Learn more about the sources used

Hull, L., Mandy, W., Belcher, H., & Petrides, K. (2024). Validation of the camouflaging autistic traits questionnaire short form (CATQ-SF). Comprehensive Psychiatry, 135, 152525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152525

Publication date: 22 Aug 2024 Added to AutiHub: 8 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
4
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 4 (25.0%)
  1. Laura Hull
  2. Will Mandy
  3. Hannah Belcher *
  4. K.V. Petrides

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Camouflaging of autistic traits involves hiding or compensating for autistic characteristics, often due to stigma or a desire to fit in with others. This behaviour has been associated with mental health issues in autistic individuals. The 2 5-item Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) is the most commonly used self-report measure of camouflaging. In this study, a 9-item short form version was developed for use in clinical and research settings. AIMS: To construct and psychometrically validate a brief self-report measure of camouflaging. METHOD: The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire - Short Form (CATQ-SF) was developed and its factor structure and psychometric properties were evaluated in two studies. Study 1 used a large, online sample of autistic and non-autistic adults (N = 832) to evaluate the factor structure, psychometric properties, and measurement invariance of the CATQ-SF. Study 2 used an independent sample of autistic and non-autistic adults (N = 80) to test Study 1's findings. RESULTS: In Study 1, evidence for a three-factor structure was observed, with good internal consistency (combined autistic & non-autistic α = 0.84). In addition, the instrument demonstrated measurement invariance, and reliably predicted higher levels of autistic traits. In Study 2, the 3-factor structure was replicated, and good internal consistency was again observed (combined autistic and non-autistic α = 0.89). In both studies, psychometric properties were of similar or higher validity compared to the full-form CAT-Q. CONCLUSIONS: The CATQ-SF can be used by clinicians and researchers to measure camouflaging in autistic and non-autistic adults quickly and reliably.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 12 Sep 2026 18:18.

Cited references
29
With a DOI
28
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
1
5 / 29 (17.2%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
0 / 29 (0.0%)
References with detected author names
29 / 29 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
1
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
138
From DOI or external metadata
138
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
83 / 138 (60.1%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 55 / 138 (39.9%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
8 / 138 (5.8%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 8 / 83 (9.6%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 8 / 105 (7.6%).
  1. Philip Levy (1967). The correction for spurious correlation in the evaluation of short-form tests . Journal of Clinical Psychology, 23(1), 84-86. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/1097-4679(196701)23:1<84::aid-jclp2270230123>3.0.co;2-2 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2005987565
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  2. Julia cook , Laura Hull , Laura Crane , Will Mandy (2021). Camouflaging in autism: A systematic review . Clinical Psychology Review, 89(102), 102080. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102080 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3198172085
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  3. Robert J. Vandenberg , Charles E. Lance (2000). A Review and Synthesis of the Measurement Invariance Literature: Suggestions, Practices, and Recommendations for Organizational Research . Organizational Research Methods, 3(1), 4-70. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/109442810031002 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2130653485
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  4. Robert S. E. Hurley , Molly Losh , Morgan Parlier , J. Steven Reznick , Joseph Piven (2007). The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(9), 1679-1690. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-006-0299-3 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2043050222
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  6. Meng-Chuan Lai , Laura Hull , Will Mandy , Bhismadev Chakrabarti , Christine Wu Nordahl , Michael Lombardo et al. (2021). Commentary: ‘Camouflaging’ in autistic people – reflection on Fombonne (2020) . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(8). Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13344 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3106886286
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  7. Christine DiStefano , Grant B. Morgan (2014). A Comparison of Diagonal Weighted Least Squares Robust Estimation Techniques for Ordinal Data . Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 21(3), 425-438. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/10705511.2014.915373 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2063594667
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  8. Simon Baron-Cohen , Sally Wheelwright , Richard Skinner , Joanne Martin , Emma Clubley (2001). The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ): Evidence from Asperger Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism, Males and Females, Scientists and Mathematicians . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(1), 5-17. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1023/a:1005653411471 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2100254283
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  9. Laura Hull , K.V. Petrides , Carrie Allison , Paula Smith , Simon Baron-Cohen , Meng-Chuan Lai et al. (2017). “Putting on My Best Normal”: Social Camouflaging in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), 2519-2534. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3166-5 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2616560149
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  11. Nassim Tabri , Corinna Marie Elliott (2012). Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling . Canadian Graduate Journal of Sociology and Criminology, 1(1), 59-60. University of Waterloo.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.15353/cgjsc.v1i1.3787 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2118338381
    OpenAlex
  13. Laura Hull , Lily Levy , Meng-Chuan Lai , K.V. Petrides , Simon Baron-Cohen , Carrie Allison et al. (2021). Is social camouflaging associated with anxiety and depression in autistic adults? Molecular Autism, 12(1), 1. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00421-1 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3132619758
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  14. Wei Ai , William A. Cunningham , Meng-Chuan Lai (2022). Reconsidering autistic ‘camouflaging’ as transactional impression management . Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 26(8), 631-645. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.05.002 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4281707972
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  15. Laura Hull , Will Mandy , Meng-Chuan Lai , Simon Baron-Cohen , Carrie Allison , Paula Smith et al. (2019). Development and Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), 819-833. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2898221520
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  16. Sarah Cassidy , Louise Bradley , Rebecca Shaw , Simon Baron-Cohen (2018). Risk markers for suicidality in autistic adults . Molecular Autism, 9(1), 1. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1186/s13229-018-0226-4 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2887488849
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  17. Jonathan S Beck , Rebecca A Lundwall , Terisa Gabrielsen , Jonathan C Cox , Mikle South (2020). Looking good but feeling bad: “Camouflaging” behaviors and mental health in women with autistic traits . Autism, 24(4), 809-821. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361320912147 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3028258828
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  18. Lucy A Livingston , Punit Shah , Victoria Milner , Francesca Happé (2020). Quantifying compensatory strategies in adults with and without diagnosed autism . Molecular Autism, 11(1), 1. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0308-y OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2995930586
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  19. Georgia Lockwood Estrin , Victoria Milner , Debbie Spain , Francesca Happé , Emma Colvert (2021). Barriers to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis for Young Women and Girls: a Systematic Review . Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 8(4), 454-470. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s40489-020-00225-8 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3095823263
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  20. Benjamin Hannon , Will Mandy , Laura Hull (2023). A comparison of methods for measuring camouflaging in autism . Autism Research, 16(1), 12-29. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/aur.2850 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4310081003
    Crossref OpenAlex
  22. Wikke J. van der Putten , Joost A. Agelink van Rentergem , Tulsi A. Radhoe , Carolien Torenvliet , Annabeth P. Groenman , Audrey J.J. Mol et al. (2023). How to measure camouflaging? A conceptual replication of the validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire in Dutch adults . Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 100, 102072. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2022.102072 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4309591662
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  23. Jiedi Lei , Eleanor Leigh , Tony Charman , Ailsa Russell , Matthew Hollocks (2024). Understanding the relationship between social camouflaging in autism and safety behaviours in social anxiety in autistic and non‐autistic adolescents . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 65(3), 285-297. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13884 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4386188263
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  24. Chun-Hao Liu , Yi-Lung Chen , Pei-Jung Chen , Hsing-Chang Ni , Meng-Chuan Lai (2024). Exploring camouflaging by the Chinese version Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire in Taiwanese autistic and non-autistic adolescents: An initial development . Autism, 28(3), 690-704. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613231181732 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4383711159
    Crossref OpenAlex
  25. Liliana Dell'Osso , Ivan Mirko Cremone , Dario Muti , Gabriele Massimetti , Primo Lorenzi , Claudia Carmassi et al. (2022). Validation of the Italian version of the camouflaging autistic traits questionnaire (CAT-Q) in a university population . Compr Psychiatry, 114, 152295. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2022.152295 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4206606617
    Crossref OpenAlex
  26. Minako Hongo , Fumiyo Oshima , Siqing Guan , Tōru Takahashi , Yusuke Nitta , Mikuko Seto et al. (2024). Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the camouflaging autistic traits questionnaire . Autism Research, 17(6), 1205-1217. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/aur.3137 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4395453271
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  27. Hannah Belcher * , Sharon Morein-Zamir , Will Mandy , Ruth M. Ford (2022). Camouflaging Intent, First Impressions, and Age of ASC Diagnosis in Autistic Men and Women . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(8), 3413-3426. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05221-3 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3192730527
    AutiHub · Autistic Autism Scholarship Project Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  28. Elizabeth M. Radulski (2022). Conceptualising Autistic Masking, Camouflaging, and Neurotypical Privilege: Towards a Minority Group Model of Neurodiversity . Human Development, 66(2), 113-127. S. Karger AG.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1159/000524122 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4287738988
    Crossref OpenAlex
  29. Kline (2023). Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling .
    Type: Other
    Crossref