August 27, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, an interesting phenomenon was playing out in grocery stores. Panic buying. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, an interesting phenomenon was playing out in grocery stores. Panic buying.
Consumers, in the face of increasing uncertainty, began stockpiling in a buying frenzy that left the shelves bare.
Now a study from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia may have an explanation for the behaviour. Unexpected certainty can cause us to change our behavior even if it isn't helpful.
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