Description

The “Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire” (CFQ) is a psychometric tool designed to assess the quality and nature of friendships. The questionnaire includes a series of statements that examine various aspects of friendship, such as emotional support, trust, communication, shared activities, and overall satisfaction with friendships. The purpose of the CFQ is to capture the quality of friendships from the individuals’ perspective, allowing for a detailed analysis of the factors contributing to positive or negative friendships.

Objective

The primary goal of the CFQ is to provide a reliable and valid tool for assessing friendship relationships. This tool helps researchers and clinicians to better understand the dynamics of friendships and how these relationships affect an individual’s psychological and social well-being. The data collected can be used to develop interventions that enhance friendships and improve social integration and mental health.

Analysis

The analysis of the data collected via the CFQ involves using statistical methods to evaluate the reliability and validity of the tool. Reliability analysis, such as Cronbach’s alpha, is used to ensure the internal consistency of the questionnaire. Factor analysis is employed to confirm the structure of the scale and identify the underlying dimensions of friendship quality. Additionally, correlation analysis can be conducted to explore the relationship between the scores on the scale and other psychological and social variables.

Scoring

The CFQ is scored using a Likert scale, where participants are asked to rate each statement from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The total scores are calculated by summing the scores of the individual statements related to the quality of the friendship. Higher scores indicate higher quality friendships, while lower scores suggest problems or low quality in the friendships.

References

Baron-Cohen, S., & Wheelwright, S. (2003). “The Friendship Questionnaire: An investigation of adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism, and normal sex differences.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33(5), 509-517.
Bagwell, C. L., Schmidt, M. E., Newcomb, A. F., & Bukowski, W. M. (2001). “Friendship and peer rejection as predictors of adult adjustment.” New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2001(91), 25-49.
Parker, J. G., & Asher, S. R. (1993). “Friendship and friendship quality in middle childhood: Links with peer group acceptance and feelings of loneliness and social dissatisfaction.” Developmental Psychology, 29(4), 611-621.
Hartup, W. W., & Stevens, N. (1997). “Friendships and adaptation in the life course.” Psychological Bulletin, 121(3), 355-370.
Furman, W., & Buhrmester, D. (1992). “Age and sex differences in perceptions of networks of personal relationships.” Child Development, 63(1), 103-115.