The self-selected nature refers to situations where individuals voluntarily choose whether or not to participate in a poll or survey. This can lead to biases as those who opt-in may have different characteristics or opinions compared to those who do not participate.
Related terms
Voluntary response bias: Voluntary response bias occurs when individuals with strong opinions or extreme views are more likely to participate in polls voluntarily. This can skew results and introduce measurement errors.
Random sampling: Random sampling is a method of selecting individuals for inclusion in a poll or survey randomly, ensuring every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. It helps mitigate biases caused by self-selection.
Representativeness: Representativeness refers to how well a sample accurately reflects the characteristics and diversity of the entire population being studied. A representative sample reduces potential measurement errors caused by self-selection biases.