Pandemic buying: Testing a psychological model of over-purchasing and panic buying using data from the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic

Online rumors during the COVID-19 pandemic: co-evolution of themes and emotions

Introduction

During public health emergencies, online rumors spread widely on social media, causing public information anxiety and emotional fluctuations. Analyzing the co-evolution patterns of online rumor themes and emotions is essential for implementing proactive and precise governance of online rumors during such events.

Methods

Rumor texts from mainstream fact-checking platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic were collected and analyzed in phases based on the crisis lifecycle theory. The LDA topic model was applied to analyze the distribution of rumor themes at different stages. The Baidu AI Sentiment Analysis API was used to study the emotional tendencies of rumors at different stages. Line graphs were utilized to analyze the co-evolution characteristics of rumor themes and emotions.

Results

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the themes of online rumors can be categorized into five types: epidemic prevention and control, panic-inducing, production and livelihood, virus dissemination, and social figures. These themes exhibited repetition and fluctuation at different stages of the pandemic. The emotions embedded in pandemic-related online rumors evolved with the progression of the pandemic. Panic-inducing rumors co-evolved with negative emotions, while epidemic prevention and control rumors co-evolved with positive emotions.

Conclusion

The study results help to understand the public's focus and emotional tendencies at different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby enabling targeted public opinion guidance and crisis management.

Can major public health emergencies increase the participation of commercial insurance? Evidence from China

Background

Public health emergencies have a lasting impact on a country's economic and social development. However, commercial insurance can disperse these negative consequences and reduce risk losses.

Method

Based on the Chinese Household Tracking Survey and Peking University Digital Inclusive Finance Index, this study employed a difference-in-differences model to test the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on commercial insurance participation and the impact mechanism.

Results

The analysis showed that the outbreak of COVID-19 improved residents' risk perception, risk preference and digital finance and promoted their participation in commercial insurance, commercial endowment insurance, and commercial medical insurance.

Conclusion

Major public health emergencies can increase commercial insurance participation, but the promotional effect of commercial insurance on rural and low-income individuals is relatively limited. To tap into potential customers, financial institutions should focus on vulnerable societal groups. This study supplements the relevant literature on the impact of major public health emergencies on commercial insurance participation.

The risk perception of COVID-19 and pandemic-related behaviors: a moderated mediation model of political trust and self-efficacy

As the pandemic continues to spread across the world, the spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its recurrence pose challenges for pandemic control in all countries worldwide. The present study examines the mediating role of political trust in the relationship between risk perception and pandemic-related behaviors (preventive behaviors and hoarding behaviors), and the moderating effect of self-efficacy on this relationship. The responses of 827 Chinese residents revealed that political trust plays a mediating role in the relationship between risk perception and pandemic-related behaviors. The relationship between risk perception and political trust was significant for individuals with low self-efficacy, while it became weaker for those with high self-efficacy.

Death Anxiety Associated With Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Death anxiety is a feeling that exists since birth, continues throughout life, lies at the root of all fears, and develops after the awareness that people will no longer exist and that they can lose themselves and the world. It is associated with death-induced anxiety with many features of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be seen as a threat to human existence. In this study, it is aimed to compile studies on death anxiety associated with coronavirus disease, list the general characteristics of these studies through descriptive summaries, and combine findings on the level of death anxiety associated with coronavirus disease through meta-analysis. The findings of this study suggest that COVID-19 pandemic process and is affected by socio-demographic factors such as fear of COVID-19, gender, and occupation. As a result of this study, it was determined that death anxiety was relatively high during the COVID-19 pandemic process.

Understanding patch foraging strategies across development

Patch foraging is a near-ubiquitous behaviour across the animal kingdom and characterises many decision-making domains encountered by humans. We review how a disposition to explore in adolescence may reflect the evolutionary conditions under which hunter-gatherers foraged for resources. We propose that neurocomputational mechanisms responsible for reward processing, learning, and cognitive control facilitate the transition from exploratory strategies in adolescence to exploitative strategies in adulthood - where individuals capitalise on known resources. This developmental transition may be disrupted by psychopathology, as there is emerging evidence of biases in explore/exploit choices in mental health problems. Explore/exploit choices may be an informative marker for mental health across development and future research should consider this feature of decision-making as a target for clinical intervention.

Defining collective irrationality of COVID-19: shared mentality, mimicry, affective contagion, and psychosocial adaptivity

This paper defines the nature of collective irrationality that flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic and lays out specific individual and shared traits and dispositions that facilitate it. Drawing on the example of globally experienced phenomenon of panicked toilet paper buying and hoarding during the COVID-19 pandemic and resources from philosophy, psychology, sociology, and economics this paper identifies four essential features of collective irrationality: weak shared mentality; non-cognitive and immediate mimicry; affective contagion; and psychosocial adaptivity. After (I) initially pointing out conceptual problems around benchmarking collectivity and irrationality, this paper (II) identifies weak mentality as serving the goals of "group" recognition internally and externally. It is argued that (III) the non-cognitive and immediate mimicry and emotional contagion are shared and individual dispositional conditions that facilitate collective irrationality in environments affected by uncertainty (IV). The human mimetic faculty and susceptibility to emotional contagion are presented as enabling and augmenting conditions under which collective irrationality flourishes. Finally, (IV) presenting collective irrationality in the context of psychosocial adaptivity, the paper provides evolutionary reasons for engaging in irrational behaviors, rendering collective irrationality as an adaptive strategy.

COVID-19 induced birth sex ratio changes in England and Wales

Background

The sex ratio at birth (male live births divided by total live births) may be a sentinel health indicator. Stressful events reduce this ratio 3-5 months later by increasing male fetal loss. This ratio can also change 9 months after major population events that are linked to an increase or decrease in the frequency of sexual intercourse at the population level, with the ratio either rising or falling respectively after the event. We postulated that the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected the ratio in England and Wales.

Methods

Publicly available, monthly live birth data for England and Wales was obtained from the Office for National Statistics up to December 2020. Using time series analysis, the sex ratio at birth for 2020 (global COVID-19 onset) was predicted using data from 2012-2019. Observed and predicted values were compared.

Results

From 2012-2020 there were 3,133,915 male and 2,974,115 female live births (ratio 0.5131). Three months after COVID-19 was declared pandemic (March 2020), there was a significant fall in the sex ratio at birth to 0.5100 in June 2020 which was below the 95% prediction interval of 0.5102-0.5179. Nine months after the pandemic declaration, (December 2020), there was a significant rise to 0.5171 (95% prediction interval 0.5085-0.5162). However, December 2020 had the lowest number of live births of any month from 2012-2020.

Conclusions

Given that June 2020 falls within the crucial window when population stressors are known to affect the sex ratio at birth, these findings imply that the start of the COVID-19 pandemic caused population stress with notable effects on those who were already pregnant by causing a disproportionate loss of male fetuses. The finding of a higher sex ratio at birth in December 2020, i.e., 9 months after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, could have resulted from the lockdown restrictions that initially spurred more sexual activity in a subset of the population in March 2020.

The impact of paid social Q&A on panic buying and digital hoarding at the stage of coexistence with COVID-19: The moderating role of sensitivity to pain of payment

The worldwide disaster caused by COVID-19 and its variants has changed the behavior and psychology of consumers. Panic buying and hoarding of various commodities continue to emerge in our daily life. Meanwhile, many scholars have focused on the causes of panic buying and hoarding of physical products like daily necessities and food during the outbreak of COVID-19. In fact, the phenomenon of panic buying and digital hoarding of paid social Q&A and other digital content products is very prominent, both in the outbreak period of COVID-19 epidemic and the current coexistence stage. However, the existing literature lacks empirical research to explore this phenomenon, and the psychological mechanism behind it has not been clearly revealed. Therefore, at the current stage of coexistence with COVID-19, based on the SOBC framework, we developed a theoretical model and explored the causes of panic buying and digital hoarding in paid social Q&A. The data collected from 863 paid social Q&A users in China are empirically tested. The results show that the characteristics of paid social Q&A (usefulness, ease of use, professionalism and value) can cause emotional contagion among platform users, activate their willingness to pay, and finally lead to digital hoarding and panic buying behavior of COVID-19 co-existence stage. In addition, the sensitivity to pain of payment moderates the relationship between emotional contagion and willingness to pay. Compared with the spendthrifts, the tightwads are more willing to pay. The conclusions will have positive significance for improving the retail service of digital content platform and promoting the consumption of digital content.

Impact of fake news on firm performance during COVID-19: an assessment of moderated serial mediation using PLS-SEM

Purpose

Fake news on social media about COVID-19 pandemic and its associated issues (e.g. lockdown) caused public panic that lead to supply chain (SC) disruptions, which eventually affect firm performance. The purpose of this study is to understand how social media fake news effects firm performance, and how to mitigate such effects.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded on dynamic capability view (DCV), this study suggests that social media fake news effects firm performance via SC disruption (SCD) and SC resilience (SCR). Moreover, the relation between SCD and SCR is contingent upon SC learning (SCL) – a moderated mediation effect. To validate this complex model, the authors suggest effectiveness of using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Using an online survey, the results support the authors’ hypotheses.

Findings

The results suggest that social media fake news does not affect firm performance directly. However, the authors’ serial mediation test confirms that SCD and SCR sequentially mediate the relationship between social media fake news and firm performance. In addition, a moderated serial mediation test confirms that a higher level of SCL strengthens the SCD–SCR relationship.

Research limitations/implications

This work offers a new theoretical and managerial perspective to understand the effect of fake news on firm performance, in the context of crises, e.g. COVID-19. In addition, this study offers the advancement of PLS as more robust for real-world applications and more advantageous when models are complex.

Originality/value

Prior studies in the SC and marketing domain suggest different effects of social media fake news on consumer behavior (e.g. panic buying) and SCD, respectively. This current study is a unique effort that investigates the ultimate effect of fake news on firm performance with complex causal relationships via SCD, SCR and SCL.

Measuring daily-life fear perception change: A computational study in the context of COVID-19

COVID-19, as a global health crisis, has triggered the fear emotion with unprecedented intensity. Besides the fear of getting infected, the outbreak of COVID-19 also created significant disruptions in people's daily life and thus evoked intensive psychological responses indirect to COVID-19 infections. In this study, we construct a panel expressed fear database tracking the universe of social media posts (16 million) generated by 536 thousand individuals between January 1st, 2019 and August 31st, 2020 in China. We employ deep learning techniques to detect expressions of fear emotion within each post, and then apply topic model to extract the major topics of fear expressions in our sample during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our unique database includes a comprehensive list of topics, not being limited to post centering around COVID-19. Based on this database, we find that sleep disorders ("nightmare" and "insomnia") take up the largest share of fear-labeled posts in the pre-pandemic period (January 2019-December 2019), and significantly increase during the COVID-19. We identify health and work-related concerns are the two major sources of non-COVID fear during the pandemic period. We also detect gender differences, with females having higher fear towards health topics and males towards monetary concerns. Our research shows how applying fear detection and topic modeling techniques on posts unrelated to COVID-19 can provide additional policy value in discerning broader societal concerns during this COVID-19 crisis.

Fake news on Facebook and their impact on supply chain disruption during COVID-19

Social media (SM) fake news has become a serious concern especially during COVID-19. In this study, we develop a research model to investigate to what extent SM fake news contributes to supply chain disruption (SCD), and what are the different SM affordances that contribute to SM fake news. To test the derived hypotheses with survey data, we have applied partial least square based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. Further, to identify how different configurations of SC resilience (SCR) capabilities reduce SCD, we have used fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results show that SM affordances lead to fake news, which increases consumer panic buying (CPB); CPB in turn increases SCD. In addition, SM fake news directly increases SCD. The moderation test suggests that, SCR capability, as a higher-order construct, decreases the effect of CPB on SCD; however, neither of the capabilities individually moderates. Complimentarily, the fsQCA results suggest that no single capability but their three specific configurations reduce SCD. This work offers a new theoretical perspective to study SCD through SM fake news. Our research advances the knowledge of SCR from a configurational lens by adopting an equifinal means towards mitigating disruption. This research will also assist the operations and SC managers to strategize and understand which combination of resilience capabilities is the most effective in tackling disruptions during a crisis e.g., COVID-19. In addition, by identifying the relative role of different SM affordances, this study provides pragmatic insights into SM affordance measures that combat fake news on SM.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Food Security of UK Adults Aged 20-65 Years (COVID-19 Food Security and Dietary Assessment Study)

The first UK lockdown greatly impacted the food security status of UK adults. This study set out to establish if food procurement was adapted differently for different income groups and if this impacted dietary intakes disproportionately. Adults (n = 515) aged 20-65 years participated in an online survey with 56 completing a 3-4 day diet diary. Food availability was a significant factor in the experience of food insecurity. Similar proportions of food secure and food insecure adapted food spend during lockdown, spending similar amounts. Food insecure (n = 85, 18.3%) had a 10.5% lower income and the money spent on food required a greater proportion of income. Access to food was the biggest driver of food insecurity but monetary constraint was a factor for the lowest income group. The relative risk of food insecurity increased by 0.07-fold for every 1% increase in the proportion of income spent on food above 10%. Micronutrient intakes were low compared to the reference nutrient intake (RNI) for most females, with riboflavin being 36% lower in food insecure groups (p = 0.03), whilst vitamin B12 was 56% lower (p = 0.057) and iodine 53.6% lower (p = 0.257) these were not significant. Coping strategies adopted by food insecure groups included altering the quantity and variety of fruit and vegetables which may have contributed to the differences in micronutrients.

The Effect of Consumer Confidence and Subjective Well-being on Consumers' Spending Behavior

The paper focuses on the role of consumer confidence and selected well-being measures in aggregate consumption and in subsets of aggregate consumption on a broad set of 22 OECD countries. Consumer confidence played a positive and statistically significant role in the development of expenditures especially on durable and semi-durable goods and services. The increase in cognitive, affective and eudaimonic measures of well-being, measured by the Cantril ladder, positive and negative affect and freedom to make life choices variables, had negative impact on total consumption and expenditures on semi-durable goods and services. Possible explanations for these estimates are provided in the paper. Based on the purpose of expenditure, consumer confidence was a significant determinant of all expenditures except for unavoidable spending such as food, health, housing, water, energy, and fuel. The subjective well-being indicators showed a negative impact on expenditures on clothing and footwear, recreation and culture, and restaurants and hotels. Possible explanations for the positive and negative effects of subjective well-being measures on consumption, benefits of including the freedom of choice variable, and directions for future research regarding the introduction of understudied variables are discussed.

Purchasing behavior in rural areas for food products during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

Most previous studies have investigated consumer purchasing behavior for food products in urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, the present study is one of the very few to investigate consumer purchasing behavior for food products within rural areas.

Methods

To this end, research was conducted in Sicily taking as a case study a rural municipality whose population was subjected to a lockdown regime to contain the spread of the virus. The choice of carrying out the research in a rural rather than an urban area contributed to the emergence of new aspects concerning consumer behavior in rural areas during the COVID-19 emergency.

Results and discussion

The research reveals that the amount of money spent on food purchases, as well as the amount of food purchased, increased during the lockdown. In general, the research shows that COVID-19 impacted the purchasing behavior of consumers in rural areas even though they showed a high resilience and adaptation to the health emergency situation caused by the pandemic.

Identifying emergence process of group panic buying behavior under the COVID-19 pandemic

The sudden COVID-19 caused frequent incidents of large-scale material panic buying, resulting in imbalance in supply and demand of goods and threatening social stability. It is of great significance to analyze the formation of group panic buying and help alleviate such action. This paper takes the panic buying phenomenon as the research target, quantifies the internal and external factors affecting individual buying behavior, restores the selection process of individual buying behavior, and constructs the emergence model of group panic buying behavior by using the idea of cluster dynamics. Through simulations, we find that: (1) The epidemic information intensity has a significant impact on the emergence of group rush buying behavior. (2) Government intervention plays a significant role in reducing the scale of group rush buying. Besides, the effects of intervention reach the best before people who do not participate in rush buying disappear. In addition, we also discuss the impact, limitations and future research directions.

Measuring a panic buying behavior: the role of awareness, demographic factors, development, and verification

In this study, a new panic buying behavior (PBB) and awareness scales were established and verified during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The PBB scales measured the relationship between people's awareness about COVID-19 and PBB. Moreover, this study investigated the potential association of some demographic factors with PBB. The online descriptive cross-sectional survey was collected from 429 Jordanians who were selected using the snowball sampling technique. The online survey started from April 1st to April 10th, 2020. Pearson correlation coefficient, one-way analysis of variance, independent sample t-test, and linear regression were used in this study. Findings indicated that both established scales were valid and reliable for achieving the required level of validity and reliability. In the current study, participants' awareness of COVID-19 was high; but, their PBB was low. Single and young individuals were positively associated with PBB. Awareness about COVID-19 and age were found to be the main predictors of PBB. This study concluded that the higher the awareness level about COVID-19, the lower PBB. High PBB may affect the world economy, highlighting the importance of COVID-19 awareness.

Fear of COVID-19 and Perceived Stress: The Mediating Roles of Neuroticism and Perceived Social Support

Background: Fear of COVID-19 leads to stress and may result in various kinds of mental health problems. Many factors are associated with an individual’s perception of stress, including neuroticism and perceived social support. This study aimed to examine the role of neuroticism and perceived social support as mediators of fear of COVID-19 on perceived stress. Methods: Data from 3299 participants aged ≥18 years from the HOME-COVID-19 survey in 2020 were used for analysis. Measurements used included the Fear of COVID-19 and Impact on Quality of Life Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale-10, the Neuroticism inventory and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support-12. A parallel mediation model within a structural equation modeling framework with 5000 bootstrapping sampling was used to test the mediating effect. Results: Fear of COVID-19 had a direct effect on perceived stress (B  =  0.100, 95% CI = 0.080−0.121, p < 0.001), whereas neuroticism, but not perceived social support, partially mediated the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and perceived stress (B = 0.018, 95% CI = 0.000−0.036). Among all types of social support, only perceived support from friends was a significant mediator (B = 0.016, 95% CI = 0.006−0.025). Conclusions: Neuroticism and perceived support from friends are critical factors in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and perceived stress.

A Qualitative Study Exploring Management of Food Intake in the United Kingdom During the Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted dietary quality through increased emotional eating and extended time spent at home, as well as instances of panic buying due to uncertainty over food availability. We recruited an opportunistic sample of 40 adults living in the United Kingdom (Female = 25; Mean age = 41.9 years) (SD = 14.4) without any prior history of eating disorders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in June 2020 and focused on the impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown on eating habits and experiences of panic buying. The data were transcribed and organized using the softwares Otter and Quirkos, respectively. Reflexive thematic analysis identified positive and negative changes to eating habits. Overall, themes highlighted that effective organization was vital to manage food purchases and consumption due to a reduced shopping frequency. However, overconsumption frequently occurred due to boredom and ease of accessing energy dense foods, which had negative implications for weight and body image. After indulging, participants attempted to revert to prior eating habits and adhere to a nutritious diet. Many also expressed the importance of having enough food to feed families, which was often reported as a reason for buying extra supplies. Understanding the long-term impacts of changes to eating habits that account for the novel coronavirus context is required to preserve health and prevent unintended changes to weight.

Individual and group level risk factors in preventive health and panic buying behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic in India

The present research explored individual and group level risk factors in preventive health and panic buying behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, COVID-19 anxiety, and personal identity were considered individual-level risk factors. Group based identities such as family, religious groups, and identification with one's nation were considered as group level risk factors. Standardized scales have been used to measure all the constructs under study. Data were collected electronically from 305 Indian respondents. Hierarchical regression analysis in SPSS Version 22 was used to test the hypotheses. Results showed that personal identity and identification with the nation predicted preventive health behavior. Panic buying behavior was predicted by the location of the respondents (containment versus non-containment zones), perceived severity, and one's personal identity. The interplay of individual and social factors is reflective of both individual and collective agencies in the adoption of preventive health behaviors, while only individual-level factors led to panic buying behavior. The findings of this study have implications for curbing, managing, and reinforcing desirable and non-desirable behavior during the present pandemic as well as in the future as well.

Is it really "panic buying"? Public perceptions and experiences of extra buying at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

Shopping behaviour in response to extreme events is often characterized as "panic buying" which connotes irrationality and loss of control. However, "panic buying" has been criticized for attributing shopping behaviour to people's alleged psychological frailty while ignoring other psychological and structural factors that might be at play. We report a qualitative exploration of the experiences and understandings of shopping behaviour of members of the public at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 23 participants, we developed three themes. The first theme addresses people's understandings of "panic buying". When participants referred to "panic buying" they meant observed product shortages (rather than the underlying psychological processes that can lead to such behaviours), preparedness behaviours, or emotions such as fear and worry. The second theme focuses on the influence of the media and other people's behaviour in shaping subsequent shopping behaviours. The third theme addresses the meaningful motivations behind increased shopping, which participants described in terms of preparedness; some participants reported increased shopping behaviours as a response to other people stockpiling, to reduce their trips to supermarkets, or to prepare for product shortages and longer stays at home. Overall, despite frequently using the term 'panic', the irrationalist connotations of "panic buying" were largely absent from participants' accounts. Thus, "panic buying" is not a useful concept and should not be used as it constructs expected responses to threat as irrational or pathological. It can also facilitate such behaviours, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Buying to Cope With Scarcity During Public Emergencies: A Serial Mediation Model Based on Cognition-Affect Theory

Panic buying is a common phenomenon that occurs during public emergencies and has a significant undesirable impact on society. This research explored the effect of scarcity on panic buying and the role of perceived control and panic in this effect through big data, an online survey and behavior experiments in a real public emergency (i.e., COVID-19) and simulative public emergencies. The findings showed that scarcity aggravates panic buying (Studies 1–3), and this aggravation effect is serially mediated by perceived control and panic (Studies 2–3). Moreover, this serial mediation model is more suitable for public health emergencies (Study 3). These findings enrich the understanding of panic buying and provide important enlightenment for guiding rational public behavior and managing public opinion during public emergencies.

Sharing data to better understand one of the world's most significant shared experiences: data resource profile of the longitudinal COVID-19 psychological research consortium (C19PRC) study

This paper serves to alert IJPDS readers to the availability of a major new longitudinal survey data resource, the COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium (C19PRC) Study, which is being released for secondary use via the Open Science Framework. The C19PRC Study is a rich and detailed dataset that provides a convenient and valuable foundation from which to study the social, political, and health status of European adults during an unprecedented time of change as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit. Here, we provide an overview of the C19PRC Study design, with the purpose of stimulating interest about the study among social scientists and maximising use of this resource.

A qualitative exploration of the impact of COVID-19 on food decisions of economically disadvantaged families in Northern Ireland

Background

The first UK-wide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 had a serious financial impact on low-income households, a population already in higher risk of food insecurity and poor dietary choices. Qualitative data on the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on food decisions of UK families are scarce. This study aimed to explore how the measures to control the spread of COVID-19 influenced the food-related decisions of socioeconomically deprived families in Northern Ireland.

Methods

A qualitative study captured data from online individual interviews. Participation was open for parents of children 2–17 years old living on a tight budget in urban and rural areas of Northern Ireland. A sampling matrix enabled equal representation of single- and two-parent households, as well as parents of younger children (<12y) and adolescents (≥12y). Data were collected by using the methods of Photovoice and mapping exercise. Data were analysed through a thematic approach.

Results

Twelve online interviews were conducted and five distinct themes were identified reflecting families’ food-related decisions that were affected by the COVID-19 lockdown: 1) food planning; 2) food purchasing; 3) meal preparation; 4) eating and feeding behaviours and 5) eating food prepared outside the house.

Conclusions

The restrictions put in place to inhibit the spread of COVID-19 influenced all aspects of dietary decisions of low-income families. Changes observed during this period included frequent consumption of homemade meals, but also increased unhealthy snacking. Infrequent food shopping encouraged good meal planning, but was also a barrier to securing adequate fresh food. Food-related support including school meal assistance contributed to families’ food security, particularly those of single parents.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-12307-1.

Panic Buying: Modeling What Drives it and How it Deteriorates Emotional Well-being

This study develops a panic buying model that explains its driving forces and adverse consequences. The data were collected from 415 U.S. nationwide consumers during the outbreak of the current pandemic and analyzed through structural equation modeling. Results indicated that although social learning through traditional media did not significantly affect consumers' fearfulness toward product shortage or panic buying, social learning through social media exerts significant effects on both. The results also provide empirical evidence that consumers' panic buying can trigger them to experience more negative emotions, which proves why such abnormal buying behaviors are an essential matter to be addressed.

Enhancing Consumer Experience through Development of Implicit Attitudes Using Food Delivery Applications

In the context created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the aim of the research in this article is to highlight how the consumer experience is constructed, starting from the consumer’s attitudes—which we consider to be implicitly positive—and from the formation of habits of using mobile applications for food supply. Data were collected from 610 people—users of applications for food delivery in urban areas—in the spring of 2021, using a quantitative type of research in the form of a field survey based on questionnaire completion; for the model validation, we used confirmatory factor analysis. The online questionnaire link was sent out in April 2021, followed by the consumers’ completion of the questionnaire in the same month. The proposed theoretical model highlights the influence of variables that are specific for technology acceptance models on the perceived utility and development of implicit attitudes based on it, as well as the habits of using the application. The results of the research validate the proposed model, showing that attitudes in the form of an implicit-type attitudes developed in time are influencing habits and aid the development of a certain usage behavior depicted by a consumption experience that has specific content. Our paper contributes to a better understanding of the consumer experience development process within the context of technology acceptance in the field of food delivery services, emphasizing the importance of satisfying hedonic motivations as an integral part of the compensatory mechanisms determined by the effects of the pandemic.

Tracking the Irish adult population during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: A methodological report of the COVID-19 psychological research consortium (C19PRC) study in Ireland

The COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium (C19PRC) study was established to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population of multiple countries. Here, we provide a methodological overview, cohort profile, data access, and summary of key findings from the Republic of Ireland arm of the C19PRC study. A longitudinal internet panel survey was designed to collect data from a nationally representative sample of Irish adults (N = 1041) who were tracked from March/April 2020 to March/April 2021. Quota sampling methods were used to produce a sample that was representative of the population with respect to sex, age, and regional distribution. Data were collected in five waves, and new participants were recruited at follow-up waves to cover sample attrition and produce nationally representative samples at various points during the first year of the pandemic. A comprehensive battery of measures was used throughout the project to assess an array of sociodemographic, political, social, psychological, physical health, COVID-19, and mental health variables. Analyses were conducted to compare sample characteristic to known population parameters from available census data. These analyses showed that the sample was representative of the general adult population of Ireland on the three quota variables and was reasonable representative of the population across a diverse range of sociodemographic variables. These data representative the first and only nationally representative, longitudinal survey of the mental health of the Irish population. These data are made freely available to interested users (https://osf.io/2huzd/files/) and the findings of this study provide a methodological basis for the future use of these data.

Emotional and Behavioral Responses to COVID-19

Abstract. This review appraises evidence for the role of personality in COVID-19 related emotions and behaviors. Three key models of personality are considered: the Five-factor Model, HEXACO model, and Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST). In line with personality research, more generally, most studies focus on the Five-Factor model. Key findings are that neuroticism is most associated with poor mental health, and extraversion is associated with a reluctance to socially isolate. Conscientiousness predicts compliance with safety guidelines but also with fewer prosocial behaviors, particularly stockpiling. Research within the HEXACO framework largely confirms these findings, especially for emotionality and mental health. The additional HEXACO Honesty-Humility factor is found to be associated with prosocial views and abstention from panic buying. Studies based on the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of personality indicate emotional conflict as people wish to stay safe while maintaining a sense of normality. Behavioral compliance is driven by activation in the Fight-Flight-Freeze System (FFFS; fear-related) and the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS; anxiety-related). The Behavioral Approach System (BAS) is implicated in approach-driven behaviors such as avoiding infection. These findings have implications for health communications and post-pandemic support.

Model Driven Causal Factors of Panic Buying and Their Implications for Prevention: A Systematic Review

Panic buying is a commonly observed response to disasters, and has been widely observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about the variables influencing this behavior. This review summarizes the existing research in this field and examines its implications for the prevention and control of panic buying. Methodology: All papers published prior to or during the pandemic, providing an empirically tested model of panic buying behavior (Group A) or a theoretical model supported by literature (Group B), were retrieved through a literature search. For papers in Group A, specific risk or protective factors were extracted and tabulated. Overlaps between Group A and Group B models were identified. Study results were analyzed to identify potential strategies which could limit panic buying behavior. Results: It was found that a wide variety of primary (crisis/disease-related), secondary (psychological, informational and sociopolitical), and tertiary (supply chain-related) factors were significantly associated with panic buying, while a single variable–reflective functioning was identified as protective. Conclusions: These results provide valuable leads for strategies aimed at preventing or reducing panic buying, particularly in countries still affected by the pandemic. It is hoped that these findings will be useful from both health administration and academic perspectives.

Why did all the toilet paper disappear? Distinguishing between panic buying and hoarding during COVID-19

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.

Psychological factors and consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is far more than a health crisis: it has unpredictably changed our whole way of life. As suggested by the analysis of economic data on sales, this dramatic scenario has also heavily impacted individuals' spending levels. To better understand these changes, the present study focused on consumer behavior and its psychological antecedents. Previous studies found that crises differently affect people's willingness to buy necessities products (i.e., utilitarian shopping) and non-necessities products (i.e., hedonic shopping). Therefore, in examining whether changes in spending levels were associated with changes in consumer behavior, we adopted a fine-grained approach disentangling between necessities and non-necessities. We administered an online survey to 3833 participants (age range 18-64) during the first peak period of the contagion in Italy. Consumer behavior toward necessities was predicted by anxiety and COVID-related fear, whereas consumer behavior toward non-necessities was predicted by depression. Furthermore, consumer behavior toward necessities and non-necessities was predicted by personality traits, perceived economic stability, and self-justifications for purchasing. The present study extended our understanding of consumer behavior changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results could be helpful to develop marketing strategies that consider psychological factors to meet actual consumers' needs and feelings.

Understanding Consumer Stockpiling during the COVID-19 Outbreak through the Theory of Planned Behavior

We use the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate determinants of stockpiling behavior during the COVID-19 lockdown. We analyzed 518 responses to an online survey and used Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM) techniques to estimate relationships between variables. Negative attitude (perceived barriers) and others’ behavior (descriptive social norms) were revealed as significant predictors for both intention to over-purchase and the actual stockpiling behavior. The lack of significance obtained for perceived behavioral control (PBC) is also an important result, strengthening the evidence that factors’ contribution to TPB’s predictive power is strongly context-dependent, respectively that PBC is less relevant in settings dominated by uncertainty. The lack of significance is especially compelling when stockpiling behavior is regarded as deviant conduct from effective consumption. Our findings expand the understanding on the applicability of TPB and offer informed practical suggestions for improving managerial strategies, public and private ones, during extreme events when self-regulation and cognitive control are expedient but hard to achieve.

Chinese public's panic buying at the beginning of COVID-19 outbreak: The contribution of perceived risk, social media use, and connection with close others

Panic buying is a globally witnessed behavior during the outbreak of COVID-19. This consumer behavior is related to many undesirable consequences, ranging from disrupting economic stability to hindering timely provision of supplies to those in dire need. As such, to understand the causes and underlying mechanisms of panic buying is crucial. Based on terror management theory, this study examined the contribution of perceived risk, social media use, and connection with close others to panic buying. Data were collected through an online survey from 972 Chinese citizens (65.9% female, M_age = 33.69 years) at the beginning period of COVID-19 in early February 2020. The results found that individuals with a higher level of perceived risk were more prone to engage in panic buying, but this link was mitigated by connection with close others when individuals less used social media. Theoretically, this study advances the understandings of the psychological processes of panic buying during health crisis. Practically, alleviating individuals’ perceived risk, establishing a healthy habit of social media use, and strengthening social ties are important to circumventing panic buying in times of COVID-19.

Purchasing under threat: Changes in shopping patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic

The spreading of COVID-19 has led to panic buying all over the world. In this study, we applied an animal model framework to elucidate changes in human purchasing behavior under COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Purchasing behavior and potential predictors were assessed in an online questionnaire format (N = 813). Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the role of individually Perceived Threat of COVID-19, anxiety related personality traits (trait-anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty) and the role of media exposure in predicting quantity and frequency of purchasing behavior. High levels of Perceived Threat of COVID-19 were associated significantly with a reported reduction in purchasing frequency (b = -.24, p < .001) and an increase in the quantity of products bought per purchase (b = .22, p < .001). These results are comparable to observed changes in foraging behavior in rodents under threat conditions. Higher levels of intolerance of uncertainty (b = .19, p < .001) and high extend of media exposure (b = .27, p < .001) were positively associated with Perceived Threat of COVID-19 and an increase in purchasing quantity. This study contributes to our understanding of aberrated human purchasing behavior and aims to link findings from animal research to human behavior beyond experimental investigations.

The Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Service Sector Sustainability and Growth

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is having an unprecedented and unpredictable impact on the world's economy. The pandemic has driven the world toward adapting to the current circumstances regardless of the business, sector, or industry. The coronavirus epidemic (COVID19) has affected the global economy and service sector. The purpose of the current study is to assess the effect of COVID-19 on service sector growth and sustainability. Global sectors and industries are trying to anchor themselves amidst the pandemic. The study focuses on the sectors that are badly hit by the outbreak and discussed the strategies and responses different countries are taking to sustain their economies. This study concludes that the vital role of Information Technology and digitization supports the economies in their fight against the pandemic and helps them sustain themselves amid crises. This study also contributes to the body of literature by suggesting IT-based solutions for various industries to elevate effective responsiveness and avoid significant losses.

A systematic review and realist synthesis on toilet paper hoarding: COVID or not COVID, that is the question

OBJECTIVE

To explore whether the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is associated with toilet paper hoarding and to assess which risk factors are associated with the risk of toilet paper hoarding.

DESIGN

A systematic review and realist review were conducted.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and PsycINFO were searched (systematic review). PubMed, pre-prints and grey literature were also searched (realist review). The databases were searched from inception until October 2020.

STUDY SELECTION

There were no restrictions on the study design.

OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

For the systematic review, toilet paper hoarding was the main outcome, and pathological use of toilet paper was the secondary outcome. For the realist review, the context-mechanisms-outcome (CMO) scheme included the COVID-19 pandemic (context), four proposed mechanisms, and one outcome (toilet paper hoarding). The four potential mechanisms were (1) gastrointestinal mechanisms of COVID-19 (e.g. diarrhoea), (2) social cognitive biases, (3) stress-related factors (mental illnesses, personality traits) and (4) cultural aspects (e.g. differences between countries).

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

All studies of human populations were considered (including general population studies and clinical studies of patients suffering from mental health problems).

RESULTS

The systematic review identified 14 studies (eight studies for the main outcome, six studies for the secondary outcome). Three surveys identified the role of the COVID-19 threat in toilet paper hoarding in the general population. One study pointed to an association between a personality trait (conscientiousness) and toilet paper buying and stockpiling as well as an additional significant indirect effect of emotionality through the perceived threat of COVID-19 on toilet paper buying and stockpiling. Six case reports of pathological use of toilet paper were also identified, although none of them were associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The realist review suggested that of all the mechanisms, social cognitive biases and a bandwagon effect were potential contributors to toilet paper hoarding in the general population. The stressful situation (COVID-19 pandemic) and some personality traits (conscientiousness) were found to be associated with toilet paper hoarding. Cultural differences were also identified, with relatively substantial effects of toilet paper hoarding in several Asian regions (Australia, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore).

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a worldwide increase in toilet paper hoarding. Social media and social cognitive biases are major contributors and might explain some differences in toilet paper hoarding between countries. Other mental health-related factors, such as the stressful situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, fear of contagion, or particular personality traits (conscientiousness), are likely to be involved.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42020182308.