Why do the candidates for the "Bachelor" fall in love so quickly?

Are you skeptical whether the feelings of the participants in dating shows are real? We are investigating the big questions. Scientific.

Since January 20th, the trashy and therefore so eerily beautiful RTL pairing games around the "Bachelor" have reopened. In the meanwhile 11th season, a total of 22 women are fighting for the 30-year-old Niko Griesert. And that brings us to our research question. The ladies are really fighting and some of them are close to a nervous breakdown in the first episode because of the jealousy. How can that be? What is going on in the brains of those candidates who, after having spoken three half-sentences with the Rosenkavalier, are sure that they have just found their dream man?

Many viewers claim: "It's all not real". It is rumored again and again that there is a script for the Bachelor's degree. This rumor has not even been confirmed by ex-participants of the dome show. "There is no script and the scenes in which you promise yourself are not shot again", says Sebastian Pannek, rose distributor of the 7th season: "The scenes are then simply used for the format or not."

Is everything just fake with the "Bachelor"?

The makers can also save themselves an actual script - they approach it much more skillfully. Candidates have to wear a microphone almost around the clock. The curious ears of the directors only have a break in the toilet or in the shower, as insiders say. In addition, mobile phones and laptops are removed from the participants before filming.

Without any distraction or external contact, a completely exceptional situation is created that suggests that the respective Bachelor is the only desirable man in the world. The reason for this is what is known from psychology Scarcity principle. It's like back then in kindergarten: we want all the more things - or people - that are only available to a limited extent. In the case of the dome show, the bachelor represents the carnal sandpit shovel for which 22 women are vying.

Combined with a cleverly selected cast and nasty interview questions that are supposed to fuel conflicts, this results in a microcosm that all you have to do is hold the camera at it. Well cut scenes do the rest. "Yes, they simply left out sentences from conversations or put them together differently. Afterwards, you saw a different conversation on television than it actually was," recalls Sandra Brexel, the sixth season candidate.

In other words: The bachelor's degree is as real as a dating show with over 20 participants can be. The bigger delusion about the show is that very few women and men are really and honestly looking for great love. Janika Jäcke, a participant from 2017, said to the gala: "I openly and honestly admit that I have always believed that you can't fall in love there." Apparently, the majority of the participants approach the program in a more purposeful manner. Melanie Müller (Yes. The one who was expecting the bachelor's degree in season 3 naked by the pool) was already with her future husband at the time of filming and was only keen on the 3,000-euro fee, as she herself admitted.

"The Bachelor" as a great psychological experiment

That makes it all the more incomprehensible to us what we are allowed to watch on television every week: catfight, tears, passionate kisses, languid looks, lovesickness. What looks like a great psychological experiment is, in principle, one.

In addition, the dates on the show are meticulously planned: bungee jumping, skydiving, hot air balloon rides, candlelight dinners on a lonely beach - all completely disproportionate activities that no one in real life would suggest on a first date. However, it is precisely this exciting atmosphere that influences the emotions and feelings of the candidates. It's actually the simplest science: Adrenaline rushes increase sexual attraction. Doris Jeloucan also confirms this. So far, she is the only psychologist in Styria who focuses exclusively on couples therapy and single coaching: "The body simply confuses excitement with being in love. The same processes take place physically." The psychological meaning we give these feelings then depends on the environmental variables: "If a man stands next to me and not a saber-toothed tiger, I will assume that I am in love and do not get an escape reflex, as would be the case with the tiger."

Why is it not all bliss in the end?

The dome show candidates can actually develop strong feelings for each other in the few weeks, but they rarely endure: "When the positive stress is over and the excitement has subsided, you quickly notice that it had nothing to do with bonding ", says Doris Jeloucan. Why? A couple of weeks might be enough to get a crush on each other, but not to create a real base from it.

Back home, the bubble of fun, adventure and uncertainty bursts. Then suddenly there is only everyday life - without a villa, without chic evening dresses, without a convertible. At the end of the day everyone is just ordinary people. They are not billionaires and are unable to carry on this extravagant life. Many candidates just fall in love with the idea of this lifestyle, which in reality is swallowed up again straight away.

What do we learn from it? Do not roll your eyes again next Wednesday when the current "dream woman" of the bachelor's degree breathes “this is sooooo beautiful” on a single date in a continuous loop. You would probably give similar sentences about yourself …