Table 4.
Factor loadings for each social/pragmatic item of the CQ.
| Item | Statement | CQ Social/Pragmatic Dimension One | CQ Social/Pragmatic Dimension Two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I get confused when people give hints or say things indirectly. | 0.40 | 0.51 |
| 2 | I get lost when the topic of conversation changes. | 0.39 | 0.48 |
| 3 | I don’t understand jokes or sayings. | 0.29 | 0.43 |
| 4 | I find it hard to speak at length, so only say one or two things at a time. | 0.81 | −0.21 |
| 5 | It takes me a long time to decide what to say next in a conversation. | 0.79 | 0.01 |
| 6 | I don’t know how to start conversations with people. | 0.85 | −0.02 |
| 7 | If someone interrupts me when I’m talking, I have to start at the beginning again. | 0.21 | 0.59 |
| 8 | I have much more difficulty than other people my age remembering words I need in conversations. | 0.29 | 0.42 |
| 9 | In conversations, I like there to be a purpose. I find it hard when it’s just “social”. | 0.62 | 0.29 |
| 10 | When I chat to others, I feel I am playing a role that is not me. | 0.47 | 0.27 |
| 11 | I talk about random or unrelated topics. People find it difficult to follow. | 0.09 | 0.73 |
| 12 | I analyse what other people mean, because I don’t understand or think I’ve misunderstood. | 0.30 | 0.61 |
| 13 | I feel unsure whether I have got my point across correctly. | 0.39 | 0.51 |
| 14 | I don’t know what to say when someone tells me how they feel. | 0.44 | 0.31 |
| 15 | I take things literally. | 0.23 | 0.58 |
| 16 | I find conversation tiring. I feel like I need time to recover afterwards. | 0.57 | 0.29 |
| 17 | I think most things people say are not relevant to me. | 0.45 | 0.42 |
| 18 | I get into confrontations without meaning to. | −0.01 | 0.75 |
| 19 | I talk in much longer stretches than other people do. | −0.35 | 0.93 |
| 20 | I have to say exactly what I think, even if I might get into trouble. | −0.16 | 0.72 |
| 21 | I get mixed up when forming my thoughts into sentences. | 0.45 | 0.38 |
| 22 | I find it hard to think of good questions to keep a conversation going. | 0.84 | 0.06 |
| 23 | I struggle to think of a polite way to say things. I might come across as blunt and rude. | 0.20 | 0.63 |
| 24 | During conversations, I lose track of what other people know or might be thinking. | 0.38 | 0.61 |
| 25 | I get frustrated when people don’t answer my questions properly. | 0.15 | 0.63 |
| 26 | If people say things that don’t match their body language or behaviour, I get really confused. | 0.28 | 0.61 |
| 27 | I don’t know what to say in groups. | 0.83 | 0.04 |
| 28 | I find it hard to change how I speak for different people. | 0.35 | 0.47 |
| 29 | I find it hard to join a conversation. I might interrupt or say nothing. | 0.72 | 0.18 |
| 30 | I say things out of context and people are not sure what I mean. | 0.22 | 0.71 |
| 31 | I give lots more detail than other people do. | −0.07 | 0.82 |
| 32 | I find it hard to talk about my feelings. | 0.57 | 0.07 |
| 33 | I talk too much and the other person doesn’t get a turn. | −0.28 | 0.90 |
| 34 | I forget ways to vary a conversation. For instance, I may forget to ask questions. | 0.43 | 0.49 |
| 35 | My point comes out wrongly when I respond to someone quickly. | 0.35 | 0.59 |
| 36 | It takes me a long time to process what people are saying. | 0.47 | 0.45 |
| 37 | I can’t think of comments or experiences to tell people in conversation. | 0.92 | −0.10 |
| 38 | Unless I really need to, I prefer not to talk. | 0.77 | −0.19 |
| 39 | I sometimes cut in or speak over people when I don’t mean to. | −0.12 | 0.74 |
| 40 | I have no interest in everyday chat, e.g., about the weekend. | 0.59 | 0.25 |
| 41 | It is hard finding common ground when talking to people. | 0.65 | 0.28 |
| 42 | I struggle to think of things to say on the spot. | 0.93 | −0.01 |
| 43 | I lose track of what I am saying. | 0.22 | 0.52 |
| 44 | There are particular things I like to talk about, but people are rarely interested. | 0.21 | 0.64 |
| 45 | I can’t judge what topics are appropriate to talk about. | 0.26 | 0.69 |
| 46 | When I have something I want to say, I can’t find an opportunity to say it. | 0.57 | 0.34 |
Note. All the social/pragmatic items of the CQ have been modelled in a two-dimensional graded response model. Items in bold type are retained in the final version of the CQ. Bold type is used to indicate the dimension to which each item is taken to belong.