‘The Traitors’ contestants will need psychological support after the show, say experts

nme.com:

The Traitors began last week, and, only three episodes in, the contestants are already starting to turn on each other and cause drama.However, the mind-games, deceiving and sabotaging required in the show will likely have psychological effects, say experts.The programme, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, involves a group of 22 ordinary people.

Of the group, some are selected to be ‘traitors’ who must lie to the others, hide their identity and try and sabotage the rest of the group’s chance at winning the prize fund, all while trying to not get caught.

They must select one player each episode to ‘murder’ in the night, who will then be eliminated. The group, including the unknown traitors also have meetings known as ‘round-tables’ where they decide on who they think should be ‘banished’, for suspicion of being a traitor.Clinical psychologist, Dr.

Paul Davies, and psychodynamic psychotherapist, Mr Roger Fife, weighed in on the show’s psychological impact on the viewers, and the contestants.They firstly explained the popularity surrounding the show, with Fife saying: “Humans’ fascination with betrayal and dishonesty can be partly attributed to our complex psychological and social makeup.”He continued: “It provides a vicarious experience through which we can contemplate ethical boundaries and the consequences of actions without real-world risks.”But the experts also attributed the high-stakes atmosphere and competitive pressure to some changes in emotion for the contestants.