Harvard psychologist Henry A. Murray died of pneumonia in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on June 23, 1988, aged 95. Ted Kaczynski took part in his 1959–62 study; no record shows Kaczynski credited it with his later actions, and historians and psychologists debate its influence.
Murray’s 1959–62 experiment involved 22 Harvard undergraduates and examined how extreme psychological stress affected personality. Participants wrote detailed personal essays before facing intense interrogations by the research team. Kaczynski reportedly spent an estimated 200 hours in the study; some experts have called its methods unethical, citing deception and coercion.
Kaczynski later called the study “the worst experience” of his life, according to A&E. Historian Alston Chase argued that the humiliation may have intensified resentment Kaczynski already felt; other historians and psychologists have said the experiment could not have been the sole or most direct cause of his bombing campaign.
