The dimensional structure of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) and predictors of camouflaging in a representative general population sample

Objectives: Some autistic people camouflage their differences by modeling neurotypical behaviors to survive in a neurotypical-dominant social world. It remains elusive whether camouflaging is unique to autism or if it entails similar experiences across human groups as part of ubiquitous impression management (IM). Here we examined camouflaging engagement and theoretical drivers in the general population, drawing on the transactional IM framework and contextualizing findings within both contemporary autism research and the past IM literature. Methods: A large representative U.S. general population sample (N = 972) completed this survey study. We combined exploratory item factor analysis and graph analysis to triangulate the dimensional structure of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) and examined its correspondence with prior autismenriched psychometric findings. We then employed hierarchical regression and elastic-net regression to identify the predictors of camouflaging, including demographic (e.g., age, gender), neurodivergence (i.e., autistic and ADHD traits), socio-motivational, and cognitive factors. Results: We found a three-factor/dimensional structure of the CAT-Q in the general population, nearly identical to that found in previous autism-enriched samples. Significant socio-motivational predictors of camouflaging included greater social comparison, greater public self-consciousness, greater internalized social stigma, and greater social anxiety. These camouflaging drivers overlap with findings in recent autistic camouflaging studies and prior IM research. Conclusions: The novel psychometric and socio-motivational evidence demonstrates camouflaging as a shared social coping experience across the general population, including autistic people. This continuity guides a clearer understanding of camouflaging and has key implications for autism scholars, clinicians, and the broader clinical intersecting with social psychology research. Future research areas are mapped to elucidate how camouflaging/ IM manifests and functions within person-environment transactions across social-identity and clinical groups.

Automated summary

This study aimed to examine the engagement and theoretical drivers of camouflaging behavior in the general population. The findings revealed a similar dimensional structure of camouflaging behavior in the general population compared to previous studies on autism. Social motivational factors, such as social comparison, public self-consciousness, internalized social stigma, and social anxiety, were identified as significant predictors of camouflaging behavior. These findings highlight the shared social coping experience of camouflaging in the general population, including autistic individuals.