Table 4.

Factors loadings of the 25-Item CAT-Q in autistic, non-autistic and combined (Com) exploratory subsamples

Item	Factors
	Compensation			Masking			Assimilation
	Autistic	Non-autistic	Com	Autistic	Non-autistic	Com	Autistic	Non-autistic	Com
When I am interacting with someone, I deliberately copy their body language or facial expressions	0.48	0.60	0.58	0.17	0.08	0.15	0.00	0.06	0.01
I learn how people use their bodies and faces to interact by watching television or films, or by reading fiction	0.73	0.76	0.77	0.09	0.04	0.06	– 0.10	0.01	0.02
I have tried to improve my understanding of social skills by watching other people	0.73	0.73	0.73	0.04	0.03	0.04	– 0.13	0.02	0.04
I will repeat phrases that I have heard others say in the exact same way that I first heard them	0.59	0.53	0.57	– 0.28	0.15	– 0.06	0.22	0.09	0.18
I practice my facial expressions and body language to make sure they look natural	0.51	0.61	0.61	0.32	0.15	0.25	– 0.03	0.04	– 0.03
I have spent time learning social skills from television shows and films, and try to use these in my interactions	0.83	0.72	0.79	– 0.01	– 0.01	0.01	– 0.03	0.15	0.09
In my own social interactions, I use behaviours that I have learned from watching other people interacting	0.76	0.74	0.73	0.02	0.13	0.10	– 0.03	0.01	0.04
I have researched the rules of social interactions (for example, by studying psychology or reading books on human behaviour) to improve my own social skills	0.61	0.41	0.56	0.06	0.02	0.03	– 0.01	0.15	0.14
I have developed a script to follow in social situations (for example, a list of questions or topics of conversation)	0.53	0.46	0.48	0.02	0.17	0.09	0.28	0.16	0.28
I monitor my body language or facial expressions so that I appear relaxed	0.03	0.32	0.17	0.85	0.60	0.75	0.02	0.04	– 0.02
I adjust my body language or facial expressions so that I appear relaxed	0.08	0.31	0.22	0.79	0.56	0.69	– 0.06	0.06	– 0.04
I monitor my body language or facial expressions so that I appear interested by the person I am interacting with	0.11	0.22	0.16	0.71	0.52	0.66	0.12	0.09	0.03
I adjust my body language or facial expressions so that I appear interested by the person I am interacting with	0.06	0.23	0.15	0.74	0.57	0.69	0.07	0.08	0.02
I don’t feel the need to make eye contact with other people if I don’t want to (Reversed)	– 0.02	– 0.23	– 0.18	0.59	0.30	0.52	– 0.01	0.14	0.01
In social interactions, I do not pay attention to what my face or body are doing (Reversed)	0.00	0.07	0.03	0.82	0.47	0.69	– 0.11	0.12	– 0.01
I always think about the impression I make on other people	– 0.01	0.02	– 0.08	0.39	0.61	0.52	0.17	0.05	0.13
I am always aware of the impression I make on other people	– 0.10	– 0.06	– 0.16	0.44	0.63	0.54	0.01	– 0.16	– 0.08
I rarely feel the need to put on an act in order to get through a social situation (Reversed)	0.00	– 0.13	– 0.08	0.24	0.19	0.21	0.56	0.69	0.71
When talking to other people, I feel like the conversation flows naturally (Reversed)	– 0.08	– 0.11	– 0.03	– 0.14	– 0.02	– 0.13	0.70	0.75	0.85
When in social situations, I try to find ways to avoid interacting with others	0.01	0.28	0.14	– 0.21	– 0.21	– 0.18	0.66	0.66	0.75
In social situations, I feel like I’m “performing” rather than being myself	0.04	0.04	0.06	0.12	0.27	0.11	0.70	0.57	0.75
I have to force myself to interact with people when I am in social situations	0.06	0.17	0.10	– 0.05	– 0.11	– 0.05	0.72	0.72	0.77
In social situations, I feel like I am pretending to be “normal”	0.00	0.21	0.09	0.19	0.18	0.13	0.65	0.58	0.74
I need the support of other people in order to socialise	0.08	0.31	0.16	– 0.11	– 0.04	– 0.07	0.60	0.52	0.66
I feel free to be myself when I am with other people (Reversed)	– 0.07	– 0.15	– 0.10	0.19	0.10	0.09	0.63	0.69	0.81

Loadings of 0.30 and greater are in bold