Penn State students explore cross-cultural psychology through Costa Rica program

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — This summer, a group of Penn State students explored cross-cultural psychology firsthand through "San José, Costa Rica: Psychology and Culture," one of 14 faculty-led education abroad programs housed in the College of the Liberal Arts this summer.

Over the course of three weeks, Alicia Drais-Parrillo, teaching professor of psychology, and Cathleen Hunt, teaching professor of psychology, guided students through experiences that deepened their understanding of cultural influences on human behavior, including volunteering, community engagement and classroom learning.

Second-year student Abby Meschoulam, a psychology major, said she was drawn to the program because it would increase her knowledge in cross-cultural psychology through an engaging and immersive learning environment.

Living with a host family gave Meschoulam a glimpse into daily life in Costa Rica. She said she especially enjoyed getting to know her host mom and learning about her experiences as part of a class interview assignment.

“We met her grandkids and kids,” she said. “And I even helped them make patacones one day.”

Between shared meals and everyday conversations, the homestay setting gave students a chance to become immersed in Costa Rican culture, rather than merely observing it.

Ceanna Nergis Irmak, a second-year political science and economics student, said her initial interest in the program was piqued by its focus on cultural learning, especially in relation to her family background. She found familiarity between her Turkish family traditions and Costa Rican culture.

“We stayed with host families, and their home was just like my grandparents’ house,” Irmak said. “Everyone there was so kind and welcoming.”

Both Irmak and Meschoulam volunteered regularly and took part in daily coursework. Most mornings were spent volunteering at Fundacion Genisis, where students divided their time between classrooms with students from pre-K to high school and service work to improve their play spaces at the school.

This was followed by a cross-cultural psychology course at Universidad Veritas in the afternoons. Through her interactions with local communities, Irmak found that concepts learned in class could be easily identified in the daily routines of locals.

“Costa Rica is one of the most perfect examples of a collectivist culture,” she said. "Everyone there is dedicated to the community. They got their happiness from their family, their food and sharing with each other.”

Meschoulam’s experience in the classroom and with the children reinforced this emphasis on community, she said, especially as she observed adolescence across cultures. Conversations with teenagers were often centered around shared interests in television and popular media. She noted that, despite cultural differences, “we really are all the same everywhere you go.”

Outside the classroom, students spent weekends exploring Costa Rica. One of Meschoulam’s favorite memories came during a visit to Cahuita National Park, where she spotted one of the animals she had hoped to see most.

“I saw a mama sloth holding her baby, crawling away from the rain, super close to us,” she exclaimed. “It was really cool to learn about the biodiversity there.”

Later in the trip, Meschoulam joined a horseback-riding tour that took her through the rainforest and along the beach. Experiences like these connected course concepts and showed how Costa Rican values and reflected in everyday life, she said.

Students also had the opportunity to visit one of Costa Rica’s “Blue Zones,” regions known for their large number of people age 100 or older. During their time there, the students met 104-year-old Don Ramiro, whose lifestyle reflected many of the themes discussed throughout the course.

“We had actually watched a video about the Blue Zone there,” Meschoulam said. “This specific person had been in the video.”

The group later shared a meal prepared by Ramiro’s children and grandchildren using ingredients grown at their farm, highlighting how family-centered culture is linked to longevity.

“They weren’t simply observing Costa Ricans, they were observing themselves,” Drais-Parrillo said. “This was about getting to the root of human experiences.”

The experience left a lasting impression on Irmak, who said her previous ideas of success and priorities were challenged. She described the program as grounding, and that it emphasized the importance of slowing down and leaning on one’s community.

“My values kind of shifted away from always going, going, going,” she said.

For Meschoulam, the program was both meaningful and memorable. She summed it up in three words: “Growth. Exciting. Fulfilling.”

Liberal Arts students interested in education abroad can learn more about faculty-led programs and enrichment funding through the College of the Liberal Arts.