Why did all the toilet paper disappear? Distinguishing between panic buying and hoarding during COVID-19.
Psychiatry Res
; 303: 114062, 2021 09.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1272678
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic led to panic buying in many countries across the globe, preventing vulnerable groups from accessing important necessities. Some reports inaccurately referred to the panic buying as hoarding. Although hoarding is a separate issue characterised by extreme saving behaviour, the two problems may be influenced by similar factors. Participants from Australia and the United States (final N = 359) completed online self-report measures of panic buying, hoarding, shopping patterns, perceived scarcity, COVID-19 illness anxiety, selfishness, and intolerance of uncertainty. Our findings showed that panic buying was related to hoarding symptoms (r's = .23 - .36), and yet, both were uniquely associated with different psychological factors. Whilst panic buying was most strongly related to greater perceived scarcity (r's = .38 - .60), hoarding was most related to a general intolerance of uncertainty (r's = .24 - .57). Based on our findings, future strategies to prevent panic buying should focus on reducing perceived scarcity cues in the community, as this seems to be the primary driver of panic buying. Another preventative strategy to reduce excessive acquiring and saving may be to implement educational programs to increase people's ability to tolerate distress and uncertainty.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Bathroom Equipment
/
Hoarding
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Psychiatry Res
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.psychres.2021.114062
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS