The Reality of Reality TV: The Psychologist Who Decides Who Gets on the Show

About this episode

Dr. Steven Stein discusses the psychological aspects of casting for reality TV shows.

Have you ever wondered how the people on reality TV get cast? Dr. Steven Stein is a psychologist who's spent twenty years helping make that call. Working behind the scenes of shows like The Amazing Race Canada and Big Brother Canada, he assesses who belongs, who can handle it, and what might happen when the cameras start rolling. "People want to be the villain. And if you fake it, we try to screen you out. You can’t fake being a villain." Hear Steven talk about: How casting works: the psychological assessments, the interviews, and how producers narrow thousands of applicants to a final cast The personality traits that drive people to apply for reality TV in the first place What it really means to be the "villain" and why the best ones know the difference between the game and real life The 12 reality TV archetypes he's identified and the quiz he's developed to find out which one you are Why social media has fundamentally changed what contestants experience after the show airs What reality TV has taught him about behavior, emotion, and how people perform under pressure Mentioned in this episode: Multi-Health Systems (MHS) — Dr. Stein's company, wh ich developed the EQ-i emotional…

People in this episode

Host: Stacy Raine

Guest: Dr. Steven Stein

Topics covered

• reality TV casting
• psychology
• media influence
• personality traits
• behavior under pressure

Keywords

• reality TV
• casting
• psychologist
• villain archetypes
• social media impact

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Multi-Health Systems (MHS)

Books & works: The Amazing Race Canada, Big Brother Canada, Yes, Chef with Martha Stewart

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