Research Article Numeracy and Decision Making

ABSTRACT—A series of four studies explored how the ability to comprehend and transform probability numbers relates to performance on judgment and decision tasks. On the surface, the tasks in the four studies appear to be widely different; at a conceptual level, however, they all involve processing numbers and the potential to show an influence of affect. Findings were consistent with highly numerate individuals being more likely to retrieve and use appro-priate numerical principles, thus making themselves less susceptible to framing effects, compared with less numer-ate individuals. In addition, the highly numerate tended to draw different (generally stronger or more precise) affective meaning from numbers and numerical compari-sons, and their affective responses were more precise. Al-though generally helpful, this tendency may sometime