Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire (FQ) – Self-Administered

Abstract

The Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire (FQ) is a self-administered psychometric instrument designed to investigate and quantify differences in friendship styles, behaviors, and preferences among adults. Developed by Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright in 2003, the scale was primarily utilized to compare friendship patterns in individuals diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) or High Functioning Autism (HFA) against neurotypical control groups. The FQ assesses domains such as depth of intimacy, social motivation, communication modality preferences, conflict resolution strategies, and the typical content of social conversations, providing insight into the qualitative nature of social relationships across different populations.

Keywords

Friendship Questionnaire, FQ, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, Social Skills, Friendship Style, Self-Report, Baron-Cohen, Social Cognition, Psychometrics

Authors

Simon Baron-Cohen, Sally Wheelwright

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire (FQ) is to systematically measure the various facets of adult friendship dynamics. Specifically, the FQ was developed to address the hypothesis that individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC), such as Asperger Syndrome, might exhibit different patterns of social engagement and friendship preferences compared to neurotypical peers. The scale aims to capture subtle, yet significant, differences in friendship quality, quantity, maintenance effort, and the importance placed on specific types of social interaction (e.g., activity-based vs. confiding/emotional-based friendships).

By using a structured self-report format, the FQ allows researchers to quantify these social differences, facilitating comparative studies and contributing to a deeper understanding of social challenges associated with ASC in adulthood.

Construct

The FQ is designed to measure the construct of Friendship Style and Quality, which is multidimensional. Key components of the construct include:

• Friendship Quantity and Depth: Assessing the number of close friends and the perceived closeness of relationships (Items 1, 4).
• Motivational Style: Distinguishing between friendships focused on shared activities (systemizing) versus those focused on emotional support and confiding (empathizing) (Items 2, 3, 7).
• Social Maintenance and Effort: Measuring the effort put into making new friends versus maintaining old ones, and frequency of social contact (Items 8, 28, 29, 31).
• Communication and Disclosure: Examining comfort levels in discussing feelings, weaknesses, and achievements with friends and strangers (Items 16, 17, 22, 23, 24).
• Social Awareness: Assessing interest in the everyday details and “gossip” concerning friends and groups (Items 25, 26, 27).
• Conflict Resolution and Support Style: Measuring responses to conflict and whether the respondent prefers offering practical solutions or emotional discussion during a friend’s problem (Items 10, 14).

Validity

The original research demonstrated the construct validity of the FQ through its ability to differentiate between diagnostic groups. The scale successfully identified significant quantitative and qualitative differences in friendship patterns between adults with Asperger Syndrome/HFA and matched neurotypical controls, supporting its utility in clinical research settings concerning Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Specifically, the findings supported the theoretical framework that individuals with AS/HFA tend to prioritize friendships based on shared activities and interests over emotional intimacy and frequently report greater difficulty in discussing feelings. Furthermore, the FQ demonstrated concurrent validity by correlating with established measures of social behavior and communication, confirming that it measures relevant aspects of social functioning.

Reliability

While specific detailed reliability statistics (such as Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency) are provided in the full 2003 publication, the FQ is generally considered a reliable instrument for capturing stable, trait-like differences in friendship styles. The scale’s dichotomous and Likert-style items ensure consistent scoring, and the clear definition of the friendship domains contributes to high inter-rater reliability when scores are analyzed. The consistency of differences found across the diagnostic groups in the original study further underscores the stability of the measurement.

Factor Analysis

The initial Factor Analysis conducted by Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright (2003) on the FQ sought to identify underlying dimensions of friendship style. The results typically reveal distinct factors related to the core constructs, supporting the differentiation between social motivation styles. Key factors often extracted include dimensions related to Intimacy/Confiding (the importance of emotional sharing) and Activity/Systemizing Focus (the importance of shared activities or interests). The factor structure confirms that friendship experiences are not monolithic but comprise several independent dimensions that can vary significantly between individuals, especially those on the Autism Spectrum and neurotypical populations.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-administered Questionnaire / Psychometric Scale

Format: Mixed format, including forced-choice (dichotomous or multiple-option), 5-point Likert scales, and ranking questions.

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Clinical and General Population Adults

Age Group: Adults (originally tested on adults aged 18+)

Population Details: Used extensively in research involving individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (specifically AS/HFA) and comparison groups of neurotypical males and females.

Test Methodology: Pencil-and-paper or digital self-report.

Keywords

Social Relationship, Communication Preference, Friendship Maintenance, High Functioning Autism, Self-Disclosure, Social Contact, Social Motivation

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source (Simon Baron-Cohen’s ORCID is widely available but is not included here per strict source adherence).

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source (Affiliated with the Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original instrument was published in 2003. The scale is often utilized freely for non-commercial academic research purposes by the Autism Research Centre (ARC). Users should check the ARC website for current usage permissions and licensing details.

Reference’s

S. Baron-Cohen and S. Wheelwright (2003). The Friendship Questionnaire (FQ): An investigation of adults with Asperger Syndrome or High Functioning Autism, and normal sex differences. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 33:509-517.

The instrument and related materials can be found online at: http://www.autismresearchcentre.com/arc_tests. The original PDF of the publication can be downloaded here: http://docs.autismresearchcentre.com/papers/2003_BCandSW_FQ.pdf

Items of the Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire (FQ) – Self-administered

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.