Classics in the History of Psychology
Special Collections

An internet resource developed by
Christopher D. Green
York University, Toronto, Ontario
ISSN 1492-3713

(Return to Classics index)


Institutions of Early Experimental Psychology:
Laboratories, Courses, Journals, and Associations

Edited by Christopher D. Green,
York University


General Introduction
Section I. The Founding of Laboratories and Courses
Section II. The Founding of the Journals
Section III. The Founding of Psychological and Philosophical Associations

About the Editor


Section I. The Founding of Laboratories and Courses

Introduction to Section I

Cattell, J. M. (1888). The psychological laboratory at Leipsic. Mind, 13, 37-51.

Sanford, E. C. (1891). A laboratory course in physiological psychology. American Journal of Psychology, 4, 141-155, 303-322, 474-490.

Baldwin, J. M. (1891). To the Editor. American Journal of Psychology, 3, 593.

Baldwin, J. M. (1892). The psychological laboratory in the University of Toronto. Science, 19 (no. 475), 143-144. (12)

Calkins, M. W. (1892). Experimental psychology at Wellesley College. American Journal of Psychology, 5, 464-468. (14)

Jastrow, J. (1893). The section of psychology. In M. P. Hardy (Ed.), Official Catalogue -- World's Columbian Exposition, pt. vii, pp. 50-60. Chicago: W. B. Conkey.

De Varigny, M. Henry. (1894). Le laboratoire de psychologie expérimentale de l'Université de Madison. Revue Scientifique, vol. 1, tome 1, 624-629. (5) [The single most detailed contemporary report of Jastrow's psychology exhibit at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.]

Münsterberg, H. (1893). Psychological laboratory of Harvard University. (1/2) [Written for the psychology exhibit at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.]

Münsterberg, H. (1893). The new psychology and Harvard's equipment for teaching it. Harvard Graduate Magazine, 1 (2), 201-209.(1/2)

Krohn, W. O. (1894). Facilities in experimental psychology in colleges in the United States. Report of the Commissioner of Education for the year 1890-'91 (Vol. 2, pp. 1139-1151).

Titchener, E. B. (1898). A psychology laboratory. Mind, 7, 311-331. (13) (Check for other early references.)

Cattell, J. M. (1898). The psychological laboratory. Psychological Review, 5, 655-658. (A reply to Titchener (1898), among others)

Cattell, J. M. (1928). Early psychological laboratories. Science, 47, 544-548.

Garvey, C. R. (1929). List of American psychology laboratories. Psychological Bulletin, 26, 652-660.


Section II. The Founding of the Journals

Introduction to Section II

Journal of Speculative Philosophy (1867-1893)

Popular Science Monthly (1872-1950)

Mind (1876-present)

Hall, G. S. (1879). Philosophy in the United States, Mind, 4, 89-105.

Hall, G. S. (1879). The new Psychology. Andover Review, 3, 120-135, 239-248.

American Journal of Psychology (1887-present)

Psychological Review (1894-present)

Monist (1890-1936; 1964-present)

Philosophical Review (1892-present)

Psychological Bulletin (1904-present)

Journal of Philosophy, Psychology, and Scientific Methods (1904-1919); Journal of Philosophy (1920-present)


Section III. The Founding of Psychological and Philosophical Associations

Introduction to Section III

Anonymous. (1893). The American Psychological Association. Science, 21 (No. 520), 34-35. [First published proceedings of the first APA meeting.]

American Psychological Association. (1894). Proceedings of the Preliminary Meeting (1892), the First Annual Meeting (1892), and the Second Annual Meeting (1893). New York: Macmillan. [Official proceedings of preliminary APA meeting and first two annual APA meetings, published privately.]

Cattell, J. M. (1895). Report of the Secretary and Treasurer for 1894. Psychological Review, 2, 149-152.

Anonymous. (1896). American Psychological Association. American Journal of Psychology, 7, 448-449. [Editorial decrying the dearth of experimental presentations at APA.]

Bliss, C. B. (1899). Proposed changes in the American Psychological Association. Psychological Review, 6, 237-238.

Hill, A.R. (1901). Proceedings of the first annual meeting of the Western Philosophical Association, held at Lincoln, Nebraska, January, 1901. Philosophical Review, 10, 162-174.

Gardiner, H. N. (1902). Proceedings of the first meeting of the American Philosophical Association, Columbia Universtiy, New York, March 31 and April 1, 1902. Philosophical Review, 11, 264-286.

Creighton, J. E. (1902). The purposes of a philosophical association. Philosophical Review, 11, 219-237.

Buchner, E. F. (1903). Ten years of American psychology. Science, 18, 193-204, 233-241.

Buchner, E. F. (1903). A quarter century of psychology in America. American Journal of Psychology, 14, 666-680.

Buchner, E. F. (1905). Proceedings of the first annual meeting of the Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology, Baltimore, MD., and Philadelphia, PA., December 27 and 28, 1904. Psychological Bulletin, 2, 72-80.

Cattell J. M. (1917). Our psychological association and research. Science, 45, 275-284.

Gardiner H. N. (1926). The first 25 years of American Philosophical Association. Philosophical Review, 35, 145-158.

Fernberger, Samuel W. (1932). The American Psychological Association: A historical summary, 1892-1930. Psychological Bulletin, 29, 1-89.

Cattell, James McKeen. (1943). The founding of the Association and of the Hopkins and Clark laboratories. Psychological Review, 50, 61-64.

Fernberger, Samuel W. (1943). The American Psychological Association 1892-1942. Psychological Review, 50, 33-60.


Other Readings

Camfield, Thomas M. (1973). The professionalization of American Psychology. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 9 66-75.

Pate, James L. & Wertheimer, Michael (Eds.) (1993). No small part: A history of regional organizations in American psychology. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Ross, Dorothy. (1972). G. Stanley Hall: The psychologist as prophet. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.

Sokal, Michael M. (1992). Origins and early years of the American Psychological Association, 1890-1906. American Psychologist, 47, 111-122.

Wilson, Daniel, J. (1990). Science, community, and the transformation of American Philosophy: 1860-1930. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (Especially Chapter 6: "From colonial outpost to academic rival: Psychology and philosophy at the turn of the century")