The Psychometric Laboratory was founded by Louis Leon Thurstone in 1952. In 1967 it was renamed the L.L. Thurstone Psychometric Laboratory in honor of its founder. The Laboratory is located in the west wing of the third floor of Davie Hall, the home of the Psychology Department. The Laboratory houses the Quantitative Psychology and Cognitive Psychology graduate training programs.

The L.L. Thurstone Psychometric Laboratory is one of the Research Institutes of the University of North Carolina. These institutes support the intellectual life of the University and the research activities of graduate students and faculty alike, serving to obtain financial and organizational assistance for the scholars who constitute their membership.

The director of the Laboratory is Professor Robert MacCallum.