About

Dr. David Watterson is an organizational psychologist with 30 years of consulting experience and creator of the Watterson Personality Inventory (WPI), the validated psychometric foundation behind VITALS.

The WPI is a factor-analytic assessment that measures personality, motivation, career interests, thinking styles, and openness to change in a single 40-minute instrument. Unlike assessments that simply describe traits, the WPI was designed to answer the practical question: so what? As President of Watterson & Associates, Dave has spent three decades applying this framework to executive coaching, talent development, and organizational decision-making.

His philosophy is rooted in positive psychology: treating people as whole and complete rather than diagnosing deficits. VITALS' scientific development is conducted in partnership with Bowling Green State University's Industrial/Organizational Psychology program, ranked second nationally, ensuring rigorous validation and ethical oversight.

Dave holds a PhD in Counseling and Personnel Psychology from the University of Illinois and an MA in Clinical and Industrial Psychology from Cleveland State University.

Latest articles

Woman tending a rooftop garden in the morning

June 15, 2026

What Is the Values Dimension?

Values and interests get used as synonyms in everyday conversation. Inside VITALS, they measure two different things, and the difference explains a lot about why some jobs feel hollow even when nothing is obviously wrong.

Dr. David Watterson

June 1, 2026

DISC vs. Myers-Briggs vs. Big Five: Which Personality Framework Actually Helps You Grow?

DISC, MBTI, and the Big Five all measure personality differently. Here's what each one actually measures, how it's scored, and which one holds up when you're making a real decision.

Dr. David Watterson

May 18, 2026

Is MBTI Accurate? What the Research Actually Says

A careful, evidence-grounded evaluation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator from a credentialed psychometrician — what's research-backed, what's a design choice, and what it means for using MBTI to make real career decisions.

Dr. David Watterson

May 18, 2026

What Is Social Style? The Personality Dimension That Explains How You Connect, Communicate, and Collaborate

Social Style is the VITALS dimension that captures how you naturally communicate, build relationships, and manage social energy, distinct from TRACOM's Social Styles model.

Dr. David Watterson