Author(s)

Alexis Theriot, Natalia Urrutia-Alvarez, Erin M. McKinley

School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Louisiana State University and the LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.

Introduction: Panic buying is a well-practiced behavior related to COVID-19 where individuals purchase food in greater quantity and speed due to emergency or feared lack of supply. Mind Genomics^TM is the psychological science of analyzing decisional processes to identify true internal thoughts. The study aimed to map out the decisional processes of undergraduate students regarding panic buying, to reveal distinct segments of thinking. Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was completed by 200 undergraduates enrolled at Louisiana State University in early 2021. The 30-item survey included questions on demographics, comfort, finances, COVID-19 diagnosis, and 16 literature-driven elements related to panic buying. Results: The majority white (79.6%) samples fell into two mindsets. One mindset (n = 98) puts focus on nutrient content (i.e., fresh not frozen, long shelf life, only what is available for their diet) when buying food during COVID-19. A smaller subset (n = 65) has additional concern, buying what appears healthy and shopping to feel in control. The white students had significantly higher financial means (p = .022) and higher comfort (p < .001) than the Black students to shop and purchase food during COVID-19. Conclusion: When college students are faced with a pandemic, there is a large focus on nutrient content when buying food. It is important to reinforce students know how to find healthy foods that fit their diet. To better enable students to obtain nutritious foods, college health educators should help build good shopping habits while acknowledging that not all students have the same means to acquire what is needed.

Panic Buying, Buying Motivators, College Students, COVID-19

Theriot, A. , Urrutia-Alvarez, N. and McKinley, E. (2021) An Analysis of Pandemic Panic Buying Motivators among Undergraduate College Students Using Mind Genomics Cognitive Science. Psychology, 12, 1457-1471. doi: 10.4236/psych.2021.129092.