Sequential Designs

Sequential designs are developmental research designs that include elements of both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies; they are configured in ways to address confounds between age, cohort, and time of measurement. Sequential designs were developed in response to concerns that researchers had regarding conventional cross-sectional and longitudinal developmental designs. Although they originated in the developmental study of aging, sequential designs can be used across developmental periods in life-span human development research. This entry begins by discussing the challenges to developmental research inherent in the conventional cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Next, the entry explores the way in which sequential designs are conceptualized. Finally, the entry describes the three sequential designs: cross sequential, time sequential, and cohort sequential.