Recent research in numeracy suggests that individuals differ substantially in their abilities to process numbers and that, in fact, many people are "innumerate." In our increasingly technical world, innumeracy (a lack of ability to understand and use basic probability and mathematical concepts) may be a critical disadvantage to making good decisions in financial, medical, and other domains.
The proposed research examines the roles of numeracy and affect in decision making. We examine the extent to which numerical ability helps decisions in some situations and hurts decisions in others. We also examine whether numeracy impacts affective feelings, and we attempt to manipulate affect as well as to enhance and disrupt calculation ability in order to test hypotheses. This research will add to the growing body of knowledge concerning how affective and deliberative ways of thinking may influence important aspects of decision making such as the effects of describing features of a decision in different ways (framing). In addition, proposals for improving people's decision-making abilities are based primarily on research results based on the population as a whole. It may be, however, that individuals will differ in the type of assistance they need. Those low in numerical ability may need different decision aids than those high in numerical ability. In some decisions that involve very complex numbers, we may all need assistance. We are increasingly being asked to make our own decisions about vital life issues. No longer are health and financial decisions left entirely to specialists such as the family doctor. Instead, all decision makers are faced with more choices and more information than in previous generations. Thus, research-based advice is essential to help decision makers who differ in their preferences and abilities for processing information and who face decisions that differ in numerical complexity.
