Do 36 questions hold key to finding love?

CAN 36 set questions help two strangers to fall in love? That is the premise for a new dating show called The Love Experiment which begins on RTÉ2 on Thursday at 9.35pm.

The concept is based around a social experiment designed by psychologist Dr Arthur Aron in the 1990s. In the four-part series, each couple - who have never met before - is asked a specific set of 36 questions which gradually promote intimacy.

The idea is that this interrogation - followed by a four-minute stare! - creates the rights conditions for a couple to fall in love.

As the experiment progresses, the questions become more intimate, in the hopes of establishing a connection between the pair. The experiment takes place in The Love lab – no frills, no distractions, just two people and 36 questions.

There are eight couples taking part in the series the series. Two strangers ask each other a series of questions designed to test compatibility, cutting out the small talk to go a bit deeper. These include:

Shannel Lynch, a 30-year-old mother of two from Dublin. Although she grew up in foster care, she had a strong bond with her own mother, who had an untimely death when Shannel was in her 20s.

Jason Garvey, 33, a father of 2 from Clondalkin. His kids are his life and he has done a lot of work on himself, including counselling, to make sure he is the best father he can be.

Brodie Thompson, 3, from New Zealand who has been living in Ireland for the last few years. She dates both men and women and describes her family set up as blended and unconventional as he parents separated when she was five.

Hasan Sinanovic, 38, from Ashbourne, who has been living in Ireland since he was eight. He was born in Bosnia and came to escape the war there. His mother had died when he was four so he came to Ireland with his granny, aunt and uncle.

John Morley, of Mayo, a journalist with Mid west radio. A self proclaimed GAA obsessive, his most treasured memory is seeing his little sister have a successful transplant operation.

Egle Valionyte, originally from Lithuania, who has been living in Meath for over 15 years. She is a rap artist (with her twin sister) and recently launched her own clothes range.

Jackie McCarthy, 60, who grew up in Limerick. Her mother had her out of wedlock and Jackie ended up in an industrial school for a few years.

Will any of them find love?