Validity and reliability of the caregiving system scale in the Italian context

This study examines the validity and reliability of the Italian adaptation of the Caregiving System Scale (CSS), a recently developed tool designed to tap individual differences in the functioning of the caregiving system. A group of 259 participants took part in the study. Based on confirmatory factor analyses, the original two-factor structure of the CSS (hyperactivation and deactivation) was replicated in the Italian sample. The Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES) was used to test convergent validity. The results confirm the validity and reliability of the Italian version of the CSS, which may prove to be a useful tool in assessing the caregiving tendency in people from many fields (from parents to volunteers to those in helping professions).