Abstract: Though in similar conditions, different people make diversified decisions. Such variance may derive from different levels of mathematical ability, which includes numeracy, quantity representation, probability inference, and numerical heuristics. Researchers have adopted two distinguishing paradigms in order to take an insight to the influence of mathematical ability. The most commonly used paradigm is the correlation method through which mathematical ability is regarded as an external correlate factor of decision-making; the other is the component paradigm which is applied to identify specific mathematical ability components involved in a decision-making process. Debates of the recent research lie in not only the role of mathematical ability and general cognition in decision-making, but also whether mathematical ability consistently makes a positive contribution to decision-making. Dual-system theory and fuzzy-trace theory could offer a framework for the explanation of individual difference in decision-making. Further research should focus on clarifying the above-mentioned controversy, developing a more efficient research paradigm and an unified explanation framework, as well as discovering methods to help people improve decision performance.

Key words: decision-making, mathematical ability, individual difference, dual-system theory, fuzzy-trace theory