Dr. Yulia Chentsova-Dutton and colleagues published in Acta Psychologica

In a new cross-cultural study  published in Acta Psychologica, Dr. Yulia Chentsova-Dutton and colleagues examine how developmental exposure to autonomy—like walking to school alone—relates to emotional responses to risk in young adulthood. Surveying college students from the U.S., Canada, Türkiye, and Russia, the researchers found that later experiences of enacted autonomy were linked to feeling less safe and experiencing less intense positive affect in risky situations. These findings highlight the lasting psychological impact of childhood independence and suggest that cultural norms around risk and supervision may shape how young adults navigate their environments.