Abstract: Researchers in decision-making and reasoning have recently proposed that there are two distinct cognitive systems: heuristic system and controlled analytic system. The former is a relatively effortless system that relies on prior knowledge, judgmental heuristics, and immediate experience; the latter is a slower, effortful, resource-dependent, rule-based one. The two systems have sharply differing evolutionary histories and neuro-logical substrates. The mechanism of the two systems in decision-making and reasoning process, the relationship of them, the individual difference variables and some limitations were also discussed in this article

Key words: heuristic system, analytic system, decision-making, reasoning