Development and psychometric evaluation of the Caregiver Reciprocity Scale II

Area of Science:

• Psychometrics
• Family Studies
• Gerontology

Background:

• Caregiver reciprocity involves exchanges between caregivers and care receivers within families.
• The revised Caregiver Reciprocity Scale II (CRS II) was developed to assess these exchanges more comprehensively.
• Previous versions may not have fully captured the dynamics of the entire family network.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the reliability and validity of the revised Caregiver Reciprocity Scale II (CRS II).
• To confirm the four-factor structure of the scale, including valued exchanges and balance.
• To provide evidence for the psychometric properties of the CRS II in a diverse caregiver population.

Main Methods:

• Psychometric investigation using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
• Assessed internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha for four subscales.
• Evaluated construct, convergent, and discriminant validity using factor loadings, fit indices, and variance extracted estimates.
• Study sample comprised 176 spouse or adult children caregivers.

Main Results:

• The CRS II demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (alpha range .73–.83).
• Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor conceptual model.
• Convergent validity was strong (item loadings > .50, t-values > 2.0).
• Discriminant validity was adequate, with acceptable variance extracted estimates and confidence intervals.

Conclusions:

• The revised Caregiver Reciprocity Scale II (CRS II) possesses adequate psychometric properties.
• The CRS II is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring caregiver reciprocity.
• Findings support the use of the CRS II in research and clinical practice involving family caregiving.