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Human quest for survival over demise has led to the evolved psychological mechanisms underlying our value function. A preference order of valued objects can explain much of our behavior, which has emerged through a process of evolution and natural selection. The evolution of human species is an outcome of, and has sometimes produced, distinct causes shaping our preferences in a certain way. Discovering those causes behind evolved preferences is essential for progress in researching and studying human behavior. The work presented in this monograph explores some of the underlying causes that shape and influence individuals´ preferences. Valuation of objects can be realized in a number of dimensions such as magnitude, time and space. This work specifically investigates the influence of some of those dimensions namely the degree of individual involvement, timing of outcomes, and vividness of objects on individuals´ valuations and ultimate decisions.

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Najam U. Saqib, (M.B.A., Ph.D.) is Assistant Professor of marketing at Qatar University. His research interests are in Behavioral Decision Theory and consumer Psychology. His work has been published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology. Before his career in academia, he worked in the field of channel marketing for over five years.

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