The cart comes way before the horse on the reality TV show, Married at First Sight. This series takes a social experiment to the extreme: Six people agree to be matched by experts and get legally married before ever meeting, seeing a picture, or having a conversation with their future spouse. Four experts — a sexologist, a spiritualist, a psychologist, and a sociologist — complete scientific experiments and extensive research to pair up each couple. The show then documents their wedding days, their honeymoons, and the next six weeks of their marriages. After six weeks, each couple must decide whether to get divorced or stay together. In our exclusive celebrity interview with psychologist Dr. Joseph Cilona, he shares his expert relationship advice and reveals the methods used to determine compatibility on the psychological level.
Married at First Sight Expert Shares Best Love Advice
Dr. Cilona’s love advice will help any relationship as it progress from just dating to fully committed. “It’s important for each partner to really discover their needs and wants,” Dr. Cilona shares. “Recognize that each day is a new learning experience to get to know your partner and get closer to each other.”
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However, for the couples on Married at First Sight, things may be a little different. The first step in making this social experiment successful is putting in some hard work. “Their relationships and love will obviously be different from a traditional marriage, as they didn’t meet until they said ‘I do,'” Dr. Cilona explains. “They need to be willing to put in the effort to learn from and grow with one another, communicate, and try to understand each other.”
The relationship expert adds, “We’re eager to see how these partnerships play out as they continue to get to know each other and build a marriage going from strangers to true spouses.”
Dr. Joseph Cilona Opens Up About Reality TV Show
Dr. Cilona confesses that he had no interest in participating in the series when he first heard about the concept. “I thought it was utterly absurd and politely declined to even discuss the possibility of being a part of a show like Married at First Sight,” he tells us in our exclusive celebrity interview. “I was eventually convinced to review the original Danish TV series. I was enthralled by it — it was poignant, touching, respectful, and very well executed. I really felt that it had depth and value.”
During the research phase, the four experts on Married at First Sight evaluate each individual and set them up with the most compatible person. If all four experts don’t unanimously agree, then a match isn’t made. “As the psychologist, I am primarily looking for ways that two individuals might be compatible, complementary, or both,” Dr. Cilona reveals. “My assessments examine over two hundred different facets of personality. The questionnaire explores things like deal breakers, personal history, needs, values, physical preferences, relationship dynamics, and more. It’s a very thorough, intense, and detailed process.”
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While this type of matchmaking seems extreme and uncommon, Dr. Cilona is confident in the process but admits that it might not be for everyone. “The data yielded by my assessments of the finalists for season two was over 3,800 pages,” he says. “I had information on each individual that averaged about 150 pages each. It took me almost 400 hours to go through that research to come up with my recommendations for matches.”
It’s no surprise that the experts love watching the magic unfold between the matched couples; it’s exciting to see their hard work come to life. “It’s important to remember that our job is to use scientific tools to try and find individuals who have the highest potential for romance. Just because a potential exists doesn’t mean it can (or will) ultimately be realized,” Dr. Cilona divulges. “This is what makes the show and science behind it so exciting: to watch how these couples work together, really get to know each other, and hopefully make their marriage last.”
You can tune in to FYI or A&E at 9/8c on Tuesdays for season two of Married at First Sight! Keep up with Dr. Cilona on Twitter @DrCilona.
