Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire

Abstract

The Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire (CFQ) is a specialized self-report instrument developed to quantify and categorize individual differences in friendship styles and social preferences. Comprising 35 items, the scale probes various aspects of relationship dynamics, including the preference for emotional intimacy versus shared activities, the effort dedicated to maintaining friendships, and levels of comfort with social interaction and self-disclosure. The CFQ is primarily utilized in psychological assessment and research, particularly in studies investigating differences in social behavior across various populations, including those involved in neurodiversity research.

Keywords

Friendship style, social interaction, social preference, relationship dynamics, emotional intimacy, self-disclosure, Cambridge, psychological assessment

Authors

SBC (Simon Baron-Cohen), SJW (Sally J. Wheelwright)

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire is to measure and delineate the qualitative differences in how individuals initiate, manage, and value their social relationships. It aims to identify distinct patterns of friendship engagement, particularly focusing on whether an individual prioritizes shared activities (instrumental friendship) or emotional intimacy and confiding (expressive friendship). This distinction is critical for understanding varying social needs and social cognition profiles.

The scale serves as a valuable tool for researchers seeking to compare friendship patterns between different groups, offering quantitative data on subjective experiences related to social closeness and preferred communication methods.

Construct

The CFQ measures several interconnected constructs related to social behavior and friendship maintenance. These constructs include:

• Friendship Orientation: The balance between seeking companionship primarily for shared activities versus seeking a friend for emotional support and confiding.
• Social Effort and Maintenance: The reported effort put into maintaining existing relationships versus seeking new ones, and preferences regarding contact frequency.
• Self-Disclosure and Vulnerability: The perceived ease of discussing personal feelings, weaknesses, failures, and achievements with friends and strangers.
• Social Interest: The level of interest in the everyday details and “gossip” concerning both close and casual friends.
• Preferred Communication Modality: Ranking preferences for face-to-face contact, telephone calls, or written correspondence (Email/letters).

Validity

While specific detailed psychometric publications related solely to the CFQ items as presented are typically found within broader research papers, the validity of related measures developed by the Cambridge Autism Research Centre generally rests on demonstrating clear differentiation between clinical and control populations. For the CFQ, construct validity is supported by its capacity to measure hypothesized dimensions of social style, such as the dichotomy between activity-based and confiding relationships, which are theorized to vary significantly across the neurotypical spectrum.

Researchers often establish criterion validity by correlating CFQ scores with established scales measuring related constructs, such as empathy, systemic thinking, or other measures of social competence and attachment style.

Reliability

Specific internal consistency statistics (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) for the CFQ are typically reported within the academic papers that employ it. Due to its use of both forced-choice and Likert-style ranking items, reliability analysis may focus on subscales derived from factor analysis. High reliability would indicate that the items consistently measure the intended constructs related to an individual’s stable social behavior patterns and friendship preferences.

Factor Analysis

Although the original factor structure is not explicitly provided with the raw items, examination of the questionnaire content suggests that a factor analysis would likely yield distinct subscales corresponding to the core friendship constructs. Potential factors include a dimension of Intimacy/Confiding (relating to emotional depth and problem sharing) and a dimension of Instrumental/Activity Focus (relating to shared hobbies and practical arrangements). Other factors might relate to Social Maintenance Effort or Tolerance for Conflict (as seen in Item 14).

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological Test/Questionnaire

Format: 35 items, combining forced-choice (dichotomous or trichotomous options) and ranking scales (Likert-type, often 4-7 points).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General Adult Population, often used in comparative studies involving individuals with variations in social cognition.

Age Group: Adult (The demographic section requests occupation, degree, and age when leaving school).

Population Details: The questionnaire is designed to capture a wide range of individual differences in friendship style, making it applicable to diverse adult populations.

Test Methodology: Paper-and-pencil administration; self-paced completion of closed-ended questions.

Keywords

Friendship quality, social behavior, neurodiversity, relationship maintenance, self-report, social cognition, intimacy, social style

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source. (Authors affiliated with the Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, UK).

Correspondence Address: Not specified in source.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale is copyrighted ãSBC/SJW MRC 2000. It was initially developed around the year 2000 under the auspices of the Medical Research Council (MRC). Access for non-commercial academic research use is typically granted via request to the Autism Research Centre (ARC). The instrument is often available for download for research purposes from the official ARC website, provided appropriate copyright acknowledgement is maintained. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.autismresearchcentre.com/arc_tests

Reference’s

• SBC/SJW MRC 2000 (Copyright Holder).
• Autism Research Centre (ARC), University of Cambridge.

Items of the Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire

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