Assistant Professor Humphreys studies consumer collaboration, both
consumer interactions with other consumers and with companies. Her
current research focuses on online communities. One project looks at the
development of norms and institutions on Wikipedia, and the other
project assesses the exchange of value on YouTube. She also studies the
effects of institutional barriers (legal, social, and cultural) on
consumer practices. Her current work in this area traces the
development of the casino gambling industry from 1976 to the present.
Lastly, she is interested in developing theories for understanding
fundamental consumer institutions such as ownership. Her work in this
area proposes that consumption can be viewed in terms of access rather
than ownership, a model that is useful for understanding the ways in
which consumers use media properties and shared resources.