The first Oxford University post with an explicit link with Psychology came in 1889 with the foundation of the Wilde Readership in Mental Philosophy, a post held successively by G.F. Stout, William McDougall, William Brown, B.A. Farrell, G. Evans, Colin McGinn, M. Davies, John Campbell and, from 1 April 2006, Martin Davies.  But despite the inclusion of Psychology in the list of special subjects in Literarae Humaniories School as long ago as 1900, the subject had no formal status in undergraduate teaching, nor any space allocated to it. An important turning point was in 1935, when Mrs Hugh Watts offered a gift to the University to establish an Institute of Experimental Psychology, which resulted in a modest laboratory at 34 Banbury Road (the site of the present Engineering Building), and a small teaching programme leading to a Diploma.

After World War II, undergraduate teaching in Psychology was introduced. The Final Honour School of Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology was established in 1947, and the first Professor of Psychology, George Humphrey, was appointed. The Institute moved in 1957 to 1 South Parks Road, where it occupied a Victorian house and an increasing number of temporary garden huts. Finally, in 1971, it moved into its present building, which was specially planned for the multifarious activities of a large and flourishing Department of Experimental Psychology, with a range of well-equipped laboratories and teaching facilities occupying some 50,000 sq. feet, yet still discovering the requirement for more space!