TITLE

The Psychology of Panic

DESCRIPTION

Do you know family or friends who became so panicked during the pandemic that they went on buying sprees (paper goods, certain foods, sanitizer and cleaning products) and became hoarders of these and other products?   This happened around the world as people became caught up in the high anxieties that came about through the crisis.  “What is it about our psychology that makes us vulnerable to such behavioral swings? …  According to a review paper published in May of last year, four factors likely drive this impulse: the perception of a coming crisis and corresponding resource scarcity, fear of the unknown, coping behavior triggered by control deprivation, and social-psychological factors including social network dynamics.“  The paper further expounds on the issue but at the end suggests that if a person becomes better focused on rationality and logic (“calm reason”), then the panic is likely to diminish and allow the individual to better cope with the situation.

SOURCE

The Scientist, June 1, 2021, by Bob Grant

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.the-scientist.com/editorial/the-psychology-of-panic-68824

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/yam3pbmf

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•Begin with reflecting on what you know about such an issue around family and friends who might have gone into panic buying and hoarding of resources.  Do you know such a person and can you describe their behaviors and emotions?

•The paper describes four factors related to these types of behaviors.  What are the factors?

•At the end, the paper suggests an approach to dealing with the panicked feeling:  what is the suggestion?