Scale Overview & Construct
25-item self-report measure of camouflaging behaviors used by autistic and non-autistic adults. Assesses three factors: compensation (strategies to compensate for social difficulties), masking (presenting a non-autistic persona), and assimilation (strategies to fit into social situations).
Purpose & Measurement Objectives
Instrument Specifications
Scientific Documentation & Psychometric Rigor
Internal Consistency & Reliability
Original validation study reported high internal consistency across subscales.
Construct & Criterion Validity
Developed and validated with autistic and non-autistic adults; distinguishes autistic from non-autistic respondents on camouflaging behavior.
Academic Citations
Hull, L., Petrides, K. V., Allison, C., Smith, P., Baron-Cohen, S., Lai, M. C., & Mandy, W. (2019). "Putting on My Best Normal": Social Camouflaging in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), 819-833.
Academic Citation & Instrument Provenance
When referencing this instrument in research, academic theses, or clinical institutional audits, please cite the original author publication:
Governance, Boundaries & Ethical Use
Imported from the OpenScales open item-bank project. This specific digital implementation has not been independently clinically validated by PsiQ — scores are for self-reflection, research, and educational purposes only, and are not a diagnosis.
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Citation: Hull, L., Mandy, W., Lai, M. C., Baron-Cohen, S., Allison, C., Smith, P., & Petrides, K. V. (2019). Development and validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), 819-833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6 This is not a diagnostic tool. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, please contact a licensed mental health professional or a crisis helpline in your country immediately. Low/Moderate/High bands below reflect this test's own possible score range only (simple thirds) — they are NOT a clinical threshold or population norm. No such cutoff has been published for this instrument.