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Classifying life course trajectories: a comparison of latent class and sequence analysis

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  • Nicola Barban
  • Francesco C. Billari

Abstract

In this article we compare two techniques that are widely used in the analysis of life course trajectories, latent class analysis (LCA) and sequence analysis (SA). In particular, we focus on the use of these techniques as devices to obtain classes of individual life course trajectories. We first compare the consistency of the classification obtained via the two techniques using an actual dataset on the life course trajectories of young adults. Then, we adopt a simulation approach to measure the ability of these two methods to correctly classify groups of life course trajectories when specific forms of "random" variability are introduced within pre-specified classes in an artificial dataset. In order to do so, we introduce simulation operators that have a life course and/or observational meaning. Our results contribute on the one hand to outline the usefulness and robustness of findings based on the classification of life course trajectories through LCA and SA, on the other hand to illuminate the potential pitfalls of actual applications of these techniques.
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  • Nicola Barban & Francesco C. Billari, 2012. "Classifying life course trajectories: a comparison of latent class and sequence analysis," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series C, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 61(5), pages 765-784, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jorssc:v:61:y:2012:i:5:p:765-784
    DOI: j.1467-9876.2012.01047.x
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    1. Christian Brzinsky-Fay & Ulrich Kohler, 2010. "New Developments in Sequence Analysis," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 38(3), pages 359-364, February.
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    1. Brienna Perelli-Harris & Laura Bernardi, 2015. "Exploring social norms around cohabitation: The life course, individualization, and culture," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 33(25), pages 701-732.
    2. Luca Maria Pesando & Nicola Barban & Maria Sironi & Frank F. Furstenberg, 2021. "A Sequence‐Analysis Approach to the Study of the Transition to Adulthood in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 47(3), pages 719-747, September.
    3. Júlia Mikolai & Hill Kulu, 2019. "Union dissolution and housing trajectories in Britain," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(7), pages 161-196.
    4. N. Barban & X. de Luna & E. Lundholm & I. Svensson & F. C. Billari, 2020. "Causal Effects of the Timing of Life-course Events: Age at Retirement and Subsequent Health," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 49(1), pages 216-249, February.
    5. Eisenberg-Guyot, Jerzy & Peckham, Trevor & Andrea, Sarah B. & Oddo, Vanessa & Seixas, Noah & Hajat, Anjum, 2020. "Life-course trajectories of employment quality and health in the U.S.: A multichannel sequence analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    6. Tsubasa Ito & Shonosuke Sugasawa, 2023. "Grouped generalized estimating equations for longitudinal data analysis," Biometrics, The International Biometric Society, vol. 79(3), pages 1868-1879, September.
    7. Michal Engelman & Heide Jackson, 2019. "Gradual Change, Homeostasis, and Punctuated Equilibrium: Reconsidering Patterns of Health in Later Life," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(6), pages 2323-2347, December.
    8. Bruno Arpino & Jordi Gumà & Albert Julià, 2018. "Family histories and the demography of grandparenthood," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 39(42), pages 1105-1150.
    9. Sarah M. Flood & Rachelle Hill & Katie R. Genadek, 2018. "Daily Temporal Pathways: A Latent Class Approach to Time Diary Data," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 135(1), pages 117-142, January.
    10. Wen-Jui Han & Julia Shu-Huah Wang, 2022. "Changing Employment and Work Schedule Patterns over the 30 Working Years—A Sequential Cluster Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-20, October.
    11. Mark Hanly & Paul Clarke & Fiona Steele, 2016. "Sequence analysis of call record data: exploring the role of different cost settings," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 179(3), pages 793-808, June.
    12. Ylva B. Almquist & Lars Brännström, 2018. "Childhood Adversity and Trajectories of Disadvantage Through Adulthood: Findings from the Stockholm Birth Cohort Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 225-245, February.
    13. Arthur Kaboth & Lena Hünefeld & Ralf Himmelreicher, 2023. "Employment trajectories of workers in low-skilled jobs in Western Germany," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 57(1), pages 1-17, December.
    14. Marc A. Scott & Jean-Marie Goff & Jacques-Antoine Gauthier, 2024. "History matters: the statistical modelling of the life course," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 445-469, February.
    15. Marc A. Scott & Kaushik Mohan & Jacques‐Antoine Gauthier, 2020. "Model‐based clustering and analysis of life history data," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 183(3), pages 1231-1251, June.
    16. Andrade, Stefan B. & Fasang, Anette Eva & Helske, Satu & Karhula, Aleksi, 2023. "Typologies in Sequence Analysis: Practical Guidelines for Identifying Robust Cluster Solutions," SocArXiv kj8d5, Center for Open Science.
    17. Mitrofanova, Ekaterina S. & Artamonova, Alyona V., 2016. "Studying Family Formation Trajectories’ Deinstitutionalization in Russia Using Sequence Analysis," MPRA Paper 82877, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Liao, Tim F. & Bolano, Danilo & Brzinsky-Fay, Christian & Cornwell, Benjamin & Fasang, Anette Eva & Helske, Satu & Piccarreta, Raffaella & Raab, Marcel & Ritschard, Gilbert & Struffolino, Emanuela & S, 2022. "Sequence analysis: Its past, present, and future," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 107, pages 1-1.
    19. John Levi Martin & James P. Murphy, 2021. "Some Methods for the Analysis of Event Sequence Data from Multiple Respondents," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 50(3), pages 1321-1352, August.
    20. Maria Sironi & Nicola Barban & Roberto Impiacciatore, 2013. "The Role of Parental Social Class in the Transition to Adulthood: A Sequence Analysis Approach in Italy and the United States," Working Papers 059, "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics (DONDENA), Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi.
    21. Nicola Barban, 2013. "Family Trajectories and Health: A Life Course Perspective [Trajectoires familiales et santé: une approche sous l’angle de parcours de vie]," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 29(4), pages 357-385, November.
    22. Hanly, Mark & Clarke, Paul & Steele, Fiona, 2016. "Sequence analysis of call record data: exploring the role of different cost settings," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 64896, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    23. Alison Gemmill, 2019. "From Some to None? Fertility Expectation Dynamics of Permanently Childless Women," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(1), pages 129-149, February.
    24. Madero-Cabib, Ignacio & Biehl, Andres, 2021. "Lifetime employment–coresidential trajectories and extended working life in Chile," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    25. Sebastian Jäckle, 2023. "What Comes after Cabinet? Post-Cabinet Careers of German Regional Ministers between 1945 and 2014," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-34, October.

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