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Market Research Definitions

Labor Force:
Any civilians of working age that are currently employed or seeking employment, and members of the Military currently living in the United States.

Labor Force Participation Rates:
An age and sex segment of the population in the labor force as compared to the total population of that segment both in and out of the labor force.

Laddering:
Used in focus groups to build on responses until met with a psychological need for the ego or status. A consumer's attitude toward a product will yield "why" questions until the motive for the behavior is identified.

Latent Click Through:
An instance when a consumer comes across an online banner ad, then visits the advertised website later because they had seen it earlier. It is only a latent click through if the consumer does not click directly on the banner ad. Also referred to as a "view through."

Leg:
Phases of the research project in which respondents will participate.

Legacy:
This is a demand that new software and operating systems can read or convert old data and will work with the new technology. Legacy issues strain productivity and damage efficiency by preventing a company for upgrading to improved solutions.

Lelly Triads:
Often used by advertising agencies, consumers are presented with three cards with the product (or service) displayed and are asked to choose the odd card and then explain why it was chosen. The words the consumer uses are carefully noted as the consumer describes the differences on the card. This is also referred to as repertory grids.

Level of Significance:
When using statistics, it is the probability that a Type I error will be made. A Type I error occurs when the relationship of two things is rejected when in all actuality it is true.

Lifestyle Research:
Research conducted in order to explain behavior by means of consumer opinions, activities, hobbies, and attitudes. This analysis can be used along with psychographic research. (Studying responses to statements about one's own activities, interests, and opinions).

Lifestyle Selectivity:
Consumer behaviors that can be attributed to a certain population segment's lifestyle. This includes interests, ownership, and hobbies.

Likert Scale:
An attitude scale that measures the level to which the respondent "agrees" or "disagrees" with a given statement in regard to a particular product or service. The scale will give an odd number of choices with an equal amount of agreement/disagreement choices on either side of a neutral option.

List Order Bias:
This is the idea of primacy and recency. A respondent is most likely to recall the beginning of the message or list, primacy, and the last portion of the message or list, recency. The respondent's recall is weaker in regards to the items located in the middle of the list.

List Rotation:
The beginning of the survey is selected randomly in order to prevent List Order Bias.

Listed Sample:
A list of people with a certain set of demographic information to fulfill a targeted market in marketing research.

Listed Telephone Households:
Telephone numbers which are available in public lists, like a directory.

Loaded Question:
A question that attempts to illicit a specific response through influential language.

Logit Model:
Binary model of regression analysis that utilizes an S-shaped curve. For each question, responses can only be one of two options, like yes or no; or zero or one.

Long Census Form:
One of two censuses issued in the United States every ten years that contains 26 additional population questions and 20 additional housing questions than what the short form contains. Data for large geographic areas is accessible, but not smaller areas due to protecting respondent anonymity.

Longitudinal Study:
A research study conducted over time by observing a certain sample set to understand developmental trends. Can use the same sample set over decades, or could utilize a new sample at set intervals.