I really didn't notice it before

Always check the prices on that 2X as often it is more than two 1X's would be.

It's all part of that "free" marketing design. I found long ago that I cannot afford free. They should require warning labels saying, "of course you will never use that much by the expiration date so you are wasting resources just to increase our profits".

Today's high school graduate cant do that math.

Doubling a number isn't mathematics. It's simple arithmetic.

its a psychology play .. when people see 2x they naturally have it imprinted in the head that they're getting more value ..

same for prices that end with .99 .. 3.99 always seems way cheaper than a $4 product

What? That 's not even grammatically articulate. Do you have an example?

Simple arithmetic might tell you and I that but I bet you wouldn't have to try very hard to find someone who would struggle with it.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/02/which-countries-have-the-best-literacy-and-numeracy-rates/

Maybe they're trying to reassure you that it's not just the same old 32oz in a bigger container?

Ah, marketing, always so silly...

They know how public schools are

Simple math is beyond simple humans. It is why Arctic Circle's 1/3 pound burger failed to outsell McDonald's 1/4 Pounder. The average American actually thought one-third was smaller than one-fourth.