How much do we care about cultural heritage? a Rasch scale validation study among young adults

Research in museum studies, heritage science, and cultural tourism highlights the “care theory” as a key framework for understanding the relationship between citizens and cultural heritage. Assessing the “sense of care” toward cultural objects and sites can provide valuable insights for museums, education, and public policy. However, visitor studies lack suitable assessment tools. This study fills the gap by introducing the Scale for the Assessment of Caring for Cultural Heritage (CHARE), developed using the Rasch model. A preliminary 16-item questionnaire on visitors’ “caring behaviours” was designed through a literature review and expert focus groups, then tested on young adults: statistical analysis confirms the model’s reliability. While the study serves as a starting point for future research and further validation is needed, CHARE already offers a practical tool for museum practitioners to assess young visitors’ engagement and caring attitudes toward cultural heritage.