Reverse Outline

Marlin Abel ENC 1102

“I chose this article because it contained relevant information to my research question.”

My research question asks why people panic bought masks, sanitizer, and toilet paper. I chose this
article from BBC because it brought up very good points about the human faults that can lead to
panic buying. All 3 of my products were briefly mentioned in this article, so reasoned it would be
applicable enough in that regard at least. The author claims that panic buying has negative
consequences, but more importantly explains the several reasons that people still panic buy.
“The author of this article was from a reliable source, a good medium, and held the same views as
myself.”

BBC published this article a year ago about the psychology of panic buying and the effects of it
during covid-19 that had happened so far. I chose this article because BBC is a trusted news source
internationally. They have over two thousand journalists and talk about many different areas of news.
This article was published electronically, which reflects how current the events are. Due to this
structure, hyperlinks can be used whenever an outside source is referenced, which is very useful. A
formal tone is used throughout the article, which is to be expected. This particular author argues
against panic buying, but also gives some good reasons why it still happens. The author has good
reason to take this side, as they believe it is in the collective's best interest to share instead of hoard.
These values are something I also believe in, but I can understand the other side of the argument.
“The audience is probably anyone who listens to the news, and the author writes the article
accordingly.”

The audience for this article is phrased as if the reader doesn't panic buy, but I imagine the author
wants panic buyers to hear their information. The author talks about the media’s influence can affect
panic buying, which is a good reason for them to spread their viewpoint.
“The overall professionalism of the article is adequate, little bias and many sources are found in the
article.”

Pictures of empty shelves, full carts, and out of stock signs are good examples of pathos to make the
reader feel empathetic for those without supplies. Not much bias is present in this article, presumably
because they know as little as anyone else about the virus. Regardless, opinion isn't used as a
substitute for facts, and several trusted individuals are quoted in the article. These sources are used
to give reasoning for panic buying and to bring credibility to the article. Like I said previously,
hyperlinks are an extremely useful way to show the audience where the information comes from.
“The first section makes the problem seem urgent and personal.”

The structure of the article first tells the story-in-motion of stores being out of stock, and people being
worried about the future. This is a good way to set the urgency and need for this article to be
published (kairos). A tweet from a worried shopper creates a small emotional connection to the
audience and the article too. The reader would feel empathetic for someone having to wait 3 hours
for a quick shopping trip, which is a good way to make your problem seem personal. This wasn’t all
deceptional of course, it did affect everyone.
“The second section uses good sources and statistics to discuss the effects of panic buying.”

The article then goes on to explain the downsides of panic buying with specific numbers and
evidence (logos). A professor of behavioural and microeconomics is quoted about the rationality of
panic buying, adding more credibility. A professor and clinical psychologist are also used as sources
to describe the effects of panic buying. This evidence is very strong because it also ties so heavily
with the safety of others.
“The third section brings up some good reasons as to why people panic buy.”

The psychology of panic buying is the next and largest section. The argument made isn't that panic
buyers are selfish people. Several good points are produced, like being in control of the situation,
peer pressure, or fear of the unknown. Wanting to feel in control of the situation is something
everyone wants to do, yet some get carried away with due to fear. Being told to do normal everyday
things like wash hands doesn’t seem like an adequate way to respond to a pandemic.
“The third section also uses 2 historical events to back up their reasoning.”

Many other panic buying situations in history are also rationalized in this section too. The cuban
missile crisis and Y2K are closely related to this situation, so both are compared. These are both
worth citing to give reasoning for panic buying. The people in those times were preparing for a crisis,
which is something the article is empathetic of. Being empathetic to the other side is a good thing to
include in your article. Knowing both sides of the argument and choosing the stronger side is a good
idea, and similar to the rogerian argument.
“The final section is to wrap up the author’s viewpoint and to give an alternative to panic buying.”

The final section is about alternatives to panic buying. This part is in strong favor of their argument of
not being selfish. Keeping yourself stocked year-round and keeping a calm head will benefit
everyone, and is something the author is in support of.
“Similar to the intro, I talk about my reasons for picking this article.”

In conclusion, I will be using this article as a source in my research project. Good reasoning about
psychology, and also sources from professors line up well with my questions. I will also be looking at
the other articles from those professors.