Validity and Reliability of the Caregiving System Scale in the Italian Context

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