ERIC Number: EJ921943
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-May
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: N/A
The Construction and Validation of an Abridged Version of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ-Short)
Hoekstra, Rosa A.; Vinkhuyzen, Anna A. E.; Wheelwright, Sally; Bartels, Meike; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Baron-Cohen, Simon; Posthuma, Danielle; van der Sluis, Sophie
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v41 n5 p589-596 May 2011
This study reports on the development and validation of an abridged version of the 50-item Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a self-report measure of autistic traits. We aimed to reduce the number of items whilst retaining high validity and a meaningful factor structure. The item reduction procedure was performed on data from 1,263 Dutch students and general population adults. The resulting 28-item AQ-Short was subsequently validated in 3 independent samples, both clinical and controls, from the Netherlands and the UK. The AQ-Short comprises two higher-order factors assessing "social behavioral difficulties" and "a fascination for numbers/patterns". The clear factor structure of the AQ-Short and its high sensitivity and specificity make the AQ-Short a useful alternative to the full 50-item version. (Contains 3 tables, 2 figures, and 4 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Autism, Factor Structure, Foreign Countries, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Validity, Control Groups, Interpersonal Competence, Adults, Comparative Analysis, Data Analysis, Behavior Problems, Student Behavior, Clinical Diagnosis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands; United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A