FURTHER EVIDENCE ON DIMENSIONALITY AND CORRELATES OF THE COGNITIVE-FAILURES-QUESTIONNAIRE

Using data from 2379 American Navy recruits, the present study examine d several issues related to interpretation and use of the Cognitive Fa ilures Questionnaire (CFQ), including dimensionality, relationships wi th actual mishaps, and the relationship to handedness. With regard to dimensionality, evidence suggests that the CFQ measures only two repli cable factors, a dominant 'general cognitive failures' factor and a mi nor name-processing factor. The analysis of actual mishaps suggests a linkage between high CFQ scores and accidents, a finding in agreement with other research showing that many accidents result from distractib ility, poor selective attention and mental error. Other results indica te that, although both CFQ scores and accident rates are elevated in l eft-handers, a causal linkage cannot be inferred.