The personality puzzle: a comprehensive analysis of its impact on three buying behaviors.

This study aimed at examining the role of personality traits in impulsive buying, compulsive buying, and panic buying simultaneously during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning of the third confinement announced by the Portuguese government, 485 Portuguese answered in this study, mean age of 41.9 years (min = 18, max = 84; SD = 12.9), and 29.9% were men. Analyzes were carried out to investigate the association of Big Five's personality factors with impulsive buying, compulsive buying, and panic buying. Results showed that the three buying behaviors under study have significant and positive correlations between them, and they also correlate with different personality traits. The association of each Big Five factor on buying behaviors differed. While conscientiousness was negatively and openness was positively associated with impulsive buying, conscientiousness was negatively associated with compulsive buying, agreeableness was positively associated with panic buying, and neuroticism correlated positively with all consumer behaviors. Understanding the personality traits that contribute to the development of a disorder may provide valuable insight into preventive measures and effective treatment approaches for some debilitating disorders. This study opens ways for investigating impulsive buying and compulsive buying by relating them to panic buying. It discusses the three different buying behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and future consumer research directions involving other variables.

COVID-19, consumer behavior, technology, and society: A literature review and bibliometric analysis.

The COVID-19 crisis is among the most disruptive events in recent decades. Its profound consequences have garnered the interest of many studies in various disciplines, including consumer behavior, thereby warranting an effort to review and systematize the literature. Thus, this study systematizes the knowledge generated by 70 COVID-19 and consumer behavior studies in the Scopus database. It employs descriptive analysis, highlighting the importance of using quantitative methods and China and the US as research settings. Co-occurrence analysis further identified various thematic clusters among the studies. The input-process-output consumer behavior model guided the systematic review, covering several psychological characteristics and consumer behaviors. Accordingly, measures adopted by governments, technology, and social media stand out as external factors. However, revised marketing strategies have been oriented toward counteracting various consumer risks. Hence, given that technological and digital formats mark consumer behavior, firms must incorporate digital transformations in their process.

Síntomas emocionales y compras por pánico durante la pandemia de COVID-19: Un análisis de trayectoria / Emotional Symptoms and Panic Buying during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Path Analysis

Resumen Objetivo: Examinar las manifestaciones y los vínculos entre síntomas emocionales y las compras por pánico durante la aplicación de medidas de cuarentena domiciliar debido a la pandemia de COVID-19. Método: Una muestra no probabilística de 339 residentes en El Salvador, mayores de 18 años, respondió un cuestionario en línea. El instrumento constaba de datos sociodemográficos, ítems sobre percepciones sobre la pandemia, una escala sobre compras por pánico y la escala abreviada de Depresión, Ansiedad y Estrés (DASS-21). Se realizaron análisis bivariados y multivariados, incluyendo un análisis de trayectoria o path analysis. Resultados: Casi 40 % de la muestra incurrió en compras por pánico. Las compras por pánico se asociaron con depresión, ansiedad y estrés, con el interés en la pandemia y la percepción de alteración de rutinas. El análisis de trayectoria comprueba que, indirectamente, la depresión desalentó la compra por pánico y la ansiedad la incentivó. El estrés ejerció un efecto positivo indirecto a través del interés en el tema y la alteración de rutinas, pero un efecto directo sobre las compras por pánico. Conclusión: La depresión, ansiedad y estrés se relacionan de manera diferencial con percepciones y comportamientos asociados al afrontamiento de la pandemia. El estrés constituye una respuesta adaptativa a la demanda de la situación mientras que las compras por pánico son una forma de paliar las emociones negativas suscitadas por la crisis. El interés en estos patrones de compra debe contemplar el contexto consumista en el que ocurren, así como las formas de afrontamiento en función del poder adquisitivo.

Abstract Objective: To examine the manifestations and links between emotional symptoms and panic buying during the implementation of domiciliary quarantine measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A non-probabilistic sample of 339 residents in El Salvador, over 18 years old, answered an online questionnaire. The instrument comprised sociodemographic questions, items on perceptions of the pandemic, a panic buying scale, and the short version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Bivariate and multivariate analyzes were performed, including a path analysis. Results: Almost 40 % of the sample engaged in panic buying. Panic buying was associated with depression, anxiety, and stress, with being interested in the pandemic and the perception of disrupted routines. The path analysis showed that, indirectly, depression discouraged panic buying and anxiety encouraged it. Stress exerted an indirect positive effect mediated by the interest in the pandemic and the disruption of routines, but a direct effect on panic purchases. Conclusion: Depression, anxiety, and stress are differentially related to perceptions and behaviors associated with coping with the pandemic. Stress is an adaptive response to the demands of the situation while panic buying is a way to alleviate the negative emotions caused by the crisis. The interest in these shopping patterns must contemplate the consumerist context in which they occur as well as coping strategies linked to acquisitive power.