Dark triad traits and panic buying

This study investigated possible connections between Paulus and Williams's (2002) dark triad traits and panic buying during the pandemic. The studies coincided with the Phase 2 lockdown enforced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. In the first study, consumers scoring higher on a narcissism measure reported less panic buying, whereas people scoring higher on measures of Machiavellianism and psychopathy reported more panic buying under pandemic-induced scarcity conditions. Study two explored the potential mediating influence of psychological vulnerability to account for the disparate relationships between the dark triad traits and pandemic-fueled panic buying. Study 2 found support for the role of psychological vulnerability in mediating this set of relations.