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Khoshsorour S, Narimani M, Basharpour S. Validation of the Persian Version of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire: A Psychometric Evaluation. Caspian J Neurol Sci 2025; 11 (4) :317-328
URL: http://cjns.gums.ac.ir/article-1-750-en.html

Background: Autistic traits are frequently linked to psychological distress, suicidal ideation, and everyday functional impairments. To cope with feelings of discomfort in social situations, some individuals engage in ‘camouflaging’ strategies, such as compensating for or masking autistic features, which may delay recognition of difficulties and access to support. Despite these concerns, research on camouflaging has grown substantially, with the camouflaging autistic traits questionnaire (CAT-Q) emerging as the only validated self-report instrument specifically developed for this construct.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to validate the Persian version of the CAT-Q.
Materials & Methods: The statistical population comprised all male and female students aged 16–18 years attending public schools in Tehran during the 2021–2022 academic year. Through a multistage sampling method, 350 students (230 females and 120 males) were selected and completed the CAT-Q, the autism-spectrum quotient (AQ), and the social anxiety scale for adolescents (SAS-A). A total of 350 participants were categorized into three groups—low-AT, mid-AT, and high-AT—based on their levels of autistic-like traits, as measured by the AQ. To assess test re-test reliability, 25 participants from the original sample completed the questionnaire again after a two-month interval. Finally, internal consistency, convergent validity, content validity, known-groups validity, and test re-test reliability (via intraclass correlation [ICC]) were used to analyze the data. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS software, version 23.
Results: The CAT-Q showed satisfactory internal consistency (α=0.883) along with acceptable test re-test reliability (ICC=0.821). It also showed significant positive correlations with both the AQ (P<0.01) and the SAS-A (P<0.01), supporting its convergent validity. For quantitative face validity, the minimum item impact score was 4.1. The minimum values for the content validity ratio (CVR) and the content validity index (CVI) were 0.6 and 0.7, respectively, confirming the content validity of all items.
Conclusion: The CAT-Q emerges as a psychometrically sound measure of social camouflaging, offering clear potential for future research with Iranian populations.