Self-Efficacy of Emerging Adulthood in United States, Canada, Turkey, and Russia

Self-efficacy is a psychological resource critical to human development. Although general self-efficacy during emerging adulthood has been studied, little is known about domain-specific self-efficacy relevant to the unique challenges of this developmental stage. To address this gap, we developed and conducted preliminary testing of a pilot measure of domain-specific self-efficacies in emerging adulthood, termed Emerging Adulthood Self-Efficacy (EASE). The EASE item pool was generated through a cross-cultural literature review of criteria deemed important for becoming an adult. This questionnaire was administered to a total of 626 participants from four countries - the United States, Canada, Turkey, and Russia. Iterative exploratory factor analysis, using parallel analysis, was employed to identify a set of items that shared a similar factor structure across the four cultural groups. The final 15-item EASE questionnaire covers six domains: (1) sociopolitical engagement, (2) romantic relationships, (3) practical functioning, (4) mental health awareness, (5) independent value system, and (6) physical health management. We found that EASE was positively associated with retrospectively reported parental autonomy support and negatively associated with emotional distress, including depression, anxiety, and stress. These associations were not moderated by cultural group. The EASE questionnaire offers a useful tool for demographers, clinical practitioners, researchers, and policymakers who work with young adults navigating the transition to adulthood.

Journal

JOURNAL OF COLLEGE STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

Year

2025

ISSN

2836-7138

eISSN

2836-7146

DOI

10.1080/28367138.2025.2505579

WoS UID

WOS:001521044700001