Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire
Please complete the following background information about yourself and then turn
over to fill out the rest of the questionnaire.
Name:…………………………………………………...…………..Sex:…….………..
Date of birth: ……………..……………. Today’s date: ………….……..………….
Occupation (please give most recent if not currently working):………………………...……..
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
How old were you when you left school? ………………………………………………
Do you have a degree? YES NO
Who else lives in your home? (e.g. partner‚ mother‚ flatmate‚ husband‚ stepson): …………………………………………………………..……………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………..
This questionnaire has 35 questions. Please answer every question.
For each of the following questions‚ tick the box next to the statement which most applies to you.
1 | a | I have one or two particular best friends. | |
b | I have several friends who I would call best friends. | ||
c | I don’t have anybody who I would call a best friend. | ||
2 | a | The most important thing about a friendship is having somebody to confide in. | |
b | The most important thing about a friendship is having somebody to have fun with. | ||
3 | a | If I had to pick‚ I would rather have a friend who enjoys doing the same things as me than a friend who feels the same way about life as I do. | |
b | If I had to pick‚ I would rather have a friend who feels the same way about life as I do‚ than a friend who enjoys doing the same things as me. | ||
4 | a | I like to be close to people. | |
b | I like to keep my distance from people. | ||
5 | a | When I talk with friends on the phone‚ it is usually to make arrangements rather than to chat. | |
b | When I talk with friends on the phone‚ it is usually to chat rather than to make arrangements. | ||
6 | a | I tend to think of an activity I want to do and then find somebody to do it with. | |
b | I tend to arrange to meet somebody and then think of something to do. | ||
7 | a | I prefer meeting a friend for a specific activity‚ e.g. going to the cinema‚ playing golf. | |
b | I prefer meeting a friend for a chat‚ e.g. at a pub‚ at a café. | ||
8 | a | If I moved to a new area‚ I would put more effort into staying in touch with old friends than making new friends. | |
b | If I moved to a new area‚ I would put more effort into making new friends than staying in touch with old friends. | ||
9 | a | My friends value me more as someone who is a support to them than as someone to have fun with. | |
b | My friends value me more as someone to have fun with than as someone who is a support to them. | ||
10 | a | If a friend had a problem‚ I would be better at discussing their feelings about the problem than coming up with practical solutions | |
b | If a friend had a problem‚ I would be better at coming up with practical solutions than discussing their feelings about the problem. | ||
11 | a | If a friend was having personal problems‚ I would wait for them to contact me as I wouldn’t want to interfere. | |
b | If a friend was having personal problems‚ I would contact them to discuss the problem. | ||
12 | a | When I have a personal problem‚ I feel that it is better to work it out on my own. | |
b | When I have a personal problem‚ I feel that it is better to share it with a friend. | ||
c | When I have a personal problem‚ I feel that it is better to try and forget about it. | ||
13 | a | If I have to say something critical to a friend‚ I think it’s best to broach the subject gently. | |
b | If I have to say something critical to a friend‚ I think it’s best to just come right out and say it. | ||
14 | If I fell out with a good friend and I thought that I hadn’t done anything wrong‚ I would | ||
a | do whatever it takes to repair the relationship. | ||
b | be willing to make the first move‚ as long as they reciprocated | ||
c | be willing to sort out the problem‚ if they made the first move. | ||
d | not feel able to be their close friend anymore. | ||
15 | My ideal working space would be | ||
a | in an office on my own‚ without any visitors during the day. | ||
b | in an office on my own‚ with an occasional visitor during the day | ||
c | in an office with one or two others. | ||
d | in an open plan office. | ||
For the next set of questions‚ please tick the box to indicate your answer. | |||
16 | How easy do you find discussing your feelings with your friends? | ||
Very easy | |||
Quite easy | |||
Not very easy | |||
Quite difficult | |||
Very difficult | |||
17 | How easy would you find it to discuss your feelings with a stranger? | ||
Very easy | |||
Quite easy | |||
Not very easy | |||
Quite difficult | |||
Very difficult | |||
18 | In terms of personality‚ how similar to your friends do you tend to be? | ||
Very similar | |||
Quite similar | |||
Not very similar | |||
Very dissimilar | |||
19 | In terms of interests‚ how similar to your friends do you tend to be? | ||
Very similar | |||
Quite similar | |||
Not very similar | |||
Very dissimilar | |||
20 | How important is it to you what your friends think of you? | ||
Of no importance | |||
Of little importance | |||
Fairly important Very important | |||
Of upmost importance | |||
21 | How important is it to you what strangers think of you? | ||
Of no importance | |||
Of little importance | |||
Fairly important | |||
Very important | |||
Of upmost importance | |||
22 | How easy do you find it to admit to your friends when you’re wrong? | ||
Very easy | |||
Quite easy | |||
Not very easy | |||
Quite difficult | |||
Very difficult | |||
23 | How easy to do you find it to tell a friend about your weaknesses and failures? | ||
Very easy | |||
Quite easy | |||
Not very easy | |||
Quite difficult | |||
Very difficult | |||
24 | How easy do you find it to tell a friend about your achievements and successes? | ||
Very easy | |||
Quite easy | |||
Not very easy | |||
Quite difficult | |||
Very difficult | |||
25 | How interested are you in the everyday details (e.g. their relationships‚ family‚ what’s currently going on in their lives) of your close friends’ lives? | ||
Completely disinterested | |||
Not very interested | |||
Quite interested | |||
Very interested | |||
26 | How interested are you in the everyday details (e.g. their relationships‚ family‚ what’s currently going on in their lives) of your casual friends’ lives? | ||
Completely disinterested | |||
Not very interested | |||
Quite interested | |||
Very interested | |||
27 | When you are in a group‚ e.g. at work‚ school‚ church‚ parent group etc.‚ how important is it for you to know the “gossip” e.g. who dislikes who‚ who’s had a relationship with who‚ secrets. | ||
Of no importance | |||
Of little importance | |||
Fairly important | |||
Very important | |||
Of great importance | |||
28 | Do you work harder at your career than at maintaining your relationships with friends? | ||
Yes | |||
No | |||
Equal | |||
29 | How often do you make plans to meet with friends? | ||
Once or twice a year | |||
Once every 2 or 3 months | |||
Once a month | |||
Once every couple of weeks | |||
Once or twice a week | |||
3 or 4 times a week | |||
More than any of the above | |||
30 | How would you prefer to keep in touch with friends? (Please put: 1 in the box next to your most preferred method 2 in the box next to your second preference 3 in the box next to your third preference) | ||
Face to face contact | |||
Email/letters | |||
Telephone calls | |||
31 | How easy to do you find it to make new friends? | ||
Very easy | |||
Quite easy | |||
Not very easy | |||
Quite difficult | |||
Very difficult | |||
32 | What would be the minimum social contact you would need to get through a day? | ||
No contact – I don’t get lonely | |||
Just being near to people‚ even if I am not talking to them | |||
A casual chat‚ e.g.‚ with a shop assistant or hairdresser | |||
A chat with a friend | |||
Two or three chats with friends during the day | |||
More than any of the above | |||
33 | What would be the minimum social contact you would need to get through a week? | ||
None – I don’t get lonely | |||
Being around people‚ even if I wasn’t talking to them | |||
Casual chats‚ e.g. with a shop assistant or hairdresser | |||
One chat with a friend | |||
Two or three chats during the week with friends | |||
One chat every day with a friend | |||
Two or three chats every day with a friend | |||
More than any of the above | |||
34 | When talking with friends‚ what proportion of your time do you spend talking about the following: (Please put: 1 in the box next to the topic that you talk most about‚ 2 in the box next to the topic you talk next most about‚ etc‚ through to 7 in the box next to the topic you talk least about. Use each number only once i.e. there should be no ties.) | ||
Politics and current affairs | |||
Hobbies and interests (eg. sport‚ TV‚ music‚ cinema‚ fashion‚ holidays‚ gardening‚ DIY etc.) | |||
Personal matters (e.g. life choice decisions‚ arguments‚ feelings) | |||
Work | |||
Family and friends | |||
The weather | |||
What you’ve been doing since last time you spoke | |||
35 | At social occasions‚ when you meet someone for the first time‚ how likely are you to talk about the following. (Please put: 1 in the box next to the topic that you talk most about‚ 2 in the box next to the topic you talk next most about‚ etc‚ through to 7 in the box next to the topic you talk least about. Use each number only once i.e. there should be no ties.) | ||
Politics and current affairs | |||
Hobbies and interests (e.g. sport‚ TV‚ music‚ cinema‚ fashion‚ holidays‚ gardening‚ DIY etc.) | |||
Personal matters (e.g. life choice decisions‚ arguments‚ feelings) | |||
Work | |||
Family and friends | |||
The weather | |||
What you’ve been doing recently |
ãSBC/SJW MRC 2000