Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ): Assessing Lapses

This self-report tool measures how often people make everyday errors, such as forgetting names. It helps researchers and clinicians assess cognitive slips in daily life.

Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) PDF assessment form for self-reporting daily cognitive lapses.
CFQ

Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ)

The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) is a self-report scale that measures the frequency of everyday lapses in memory, perception, and motor function. It's used to assess absent-mindedness and cognitive slips, helping clinicians understand how attention deficits affect a patient's daily life.

Category

Mental health
Wellbeing

Disease

Assessment
Mental Health
Occupational Health

Source

(Broadbent et al., 1982)

Author Name

Broadbent, D.E., Cooper, P.F., FitzGerald, P. & Parkes, K.R. (1982)

What is Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ)

The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) is a trusted tool for tracking everyday mental slips. It helps experts measure frequent lapses in focus. This twenty five item scale looks at failures in perception, memory, and motor function. It asks people to rate their own experiences with common mistakes like forgetting names. Respondents answer questions using a simple frequency scale ranging from never to very often. The items cover a mix of forgetfulness, such as dropping objects or failing to notice road signs, giving a clear picture of general cognitive function. It's easy to administer and score, making it great for clinical screening plus research into stress or workplace safety. By highlighting error proneness, the CFQ assists professionals in planning interventions that improve daily functioning and safety for a much better quality of life.

CFQ Scoring

The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire can be scored using one main approach: calculating a total frequency sum. This tool lists 25 common mistakes, like forgetting names or bumping into people. Patients rate how often these happen on a scale from 0 for never to 4 for very often. You simply add up the ratings for a final score between 0 and 100. Higher numbers mean the patient is dealing with more cognitive blunders in daily life. While some experts might look at subscales for memory or focus, the total sum remains the most reliable way to monitor general cognitive function in a busy clinical practice.

View scoring form

Advantages

Wide applicability

Serves diverse clinical needs effectively.

Efficient collection

Streamlines research data gathering process.

Research validity

Strengthens evidence through systematic measurement approaches.

Health monitoring

Tracks patient condition changes systematically.

10
Minutes
20
Questions

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