..is a principle which makes people do things so that they don't feel regretful later. 

• Panic buying makes people feel in charge of the situation, while seemingly mundane measures like hand-washing, which are actually impactful, seem ordinary.
• The problem comes when people overbuy in their over-panicked state of mind (irrational stockpiling), making the shortages worse ...

Experts point out that panic buying can be a result of a lack of trust in the government.